An Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State unanimously affirmed Abia State Governor Alex Otti’s election victory on Saturday, emphasizing that it was in accordance with the terms of the Electoral Act.
The appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their governorship candidates against Otti’s election were dismissed by the court.
The appeal court ruled that the appellants’ petitions lacked substance since they resembled “a comedy skit brought to a democratic setting.”
According to the court, concerns of political party membership are a pre-election subject that also falls under the authority of the political party.
It went on to say that Otti was qualified to run because he joined the Labour Party, won its primary election, and submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The appeal court stated that the appellants failed to demonstrate or link their documentary evidence to the specific elements of the case concerning the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, raised by the PDP and its candidate.
The decision has stirred joy among Governor Otti’s supporters in various regions of the state.
Meanwhile, the PDP while reacting to the judgment in a statement signed by the party’s acting State Publicity Secretary, Abraham Amah adised its members to remain steadfast, calm, peaceful, law-abiding.
The statement reads:
“The attention of the Abia PDP has been drawn to the judgement of the three-man panel of Appeal Court judges which sat in Lagos and upheld the decision of the Abia Election Petition Tribunal which had affirmed Alex Otti as the winner of the March 18, 2023 Abia governorship election following his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“Following the judgement of the Appeal Court, the Abia PDP assures its members, numerous supporters across Party lines and the good people of Abia State to remain calm as the Party leadership is meeting with the governorship candidate and his running mate and the legal team to review the judgement of the Appeal Court and come up with the next line of action.
“Abia PDP uses this opportunity to reiterate its confidence in the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man and one of the strongest pillars of our democracy.
“We call on members of the PDP, our numerous supporters and sympathisers and the good people of Abia State to remain steadfast, calm, peaceful, law-abiding and put our hope and trust in God and in the Judiciary as we explore the options available to us.
“We also call on the good people of Abia who have been suffering under the bad policies of Alex Otti to know that the Party would never abandon them.”