The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed the election of Governor Alex Otti, as the winner of the March 18 Governorship Election in Abia State.
The Appeal Court on Saturday, December 2, 2023, affirmed Otti as the duly elected Governor of Abia State, after dismissing the appeals brought by the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress, and their governorship candidates, challenging the election of the Governor.
The Appellate Court in a unanimous decision by its three-man panel of justices on Saturday, upheld the victory of Otti at the polls, saying that it conformed with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
It held that petitions brought by the appellants lacked merit, as they were like “a comedy skit brought to a democratic setting”.
According to the appellate court, the issue of political party membership is a pre-election matter, which also falls within the jurisdiction of the political party.
It further held that since Otti joined the Labour Party, won its primary election and submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, he was qualified to contest the election.
Ruling on the issues of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, brought by the PDP and its candidate, the appeal court said the appellants failed to demonstrate or link their documentary evidence to the specific parts of the case.
However, the Saturday judgement by the Appellate Court has sparked wild celebration among the supporters of Governor Otti in some parts of Abia State.