Tribunal Affirms Alex Otti As Abia State Governor

The Election Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia has banished petitions by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Okey Ahiwe, and his party against the election of Alex Otti of the Labour Party as Governor of Abia State.

The tribunal in delivering the Judgement on Friday afternoon declared that Ahaiwe’s case has no merit and therefore is dismissed.

The PDP candidate had earlier challenged the declaration of Governor Otti as the elected governor of the state by the INEC

Ahaiwe had pleaded with the court to dismiss Otti’s case and recognize him as the victor in his pleas through his attorney, Paul Ananaba, SAN.

Among other things, the PDP candidate argued that Otti’s electoral victory did not follow Section 77 of the Electoral Act.

The panel, however, rejected all of the requests because they were unjustified.

Meanwhile, the Abia State PDP has disagreed with the ruling of the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that validated Dr. Alex Otti’s election as the state’s governor.

The party said in a statement that it is not surprised by the ruling because Otti and the Labour Party have been boasting that the petitions of the PDP and the other party that challenged Otti’s declaration as the winner of the 2023 Abia governorship election would be thrown into the trash.

The statement was signed by the party’s state publicity secretary, Elder Amah Abraham.

It reads; “Such braggadocio was subjudice and speaks to many infractions on the Nigerian law and the judicial process including the fact that Alex Otti and his men already knew the outcome of the judgment, days ahead of today. It is our firm belief that the justices erred in their judgment.

“Having rejected the judgment, the Abia PDP has conferred with our team of lawyers and based on our understanding that the learned justices erred, we are appealing the judgment as a means to correct the wrongs by the election tribunal.

“As a responsible and law-abiding corporate citizen, the Abia PDP wishes to restate our democratic credentials anchored on the principles of rule of law, justice, law, and order and also reaffirm our firm belief in the judiciary as one of the strongest pillars of democracy.”

“We thank our members, teeming supporters, and all democracy lovers who stood with us all the way; before, during, and after the elections as we embarked on a journey meant to strengthen our democracy and right the wrongs inflicted on the electoral process by desperate politicians who are bent on having power at all cost.