Otti's election as Abia governor is upheld by the tribunal

The affirmation of Governor Alex Otti's election by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State, on the previous day, solidifies his victory in the March 18, 2023 ballot as a representative of the Labour Party.

The case submitted by Mr. Okey Ahaiwe, a candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contesting the election victory of Otti as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was dismissed by the judiciary.

In a unanimous verdict, the three-member tribunal, presided over by Justice H.T.D Gwadah, dismissed the appeal filed by the PDP on the grounds of lacking merit. The tribunal declared Otti as the legitimately elected governor of Abia State.

According to Justice Gwadah, the apparent non-qualifying of Otti to participate in the election, as claimed by Ahaiwe, was deemed unfounded. The judge stated that the question of Otti's qualification should have been resolved prior to the election, making it beyond the authority of the tribunal to address pre-election issues.

The ruling of the tribunal was rejected by the PDP, as stated by Elder Abraham Amah, the Vice Chairman/acting Publicity Secretary of the party. Amah expressed that they were not taken aback by the verdict, as they had observed Alex Otti and the Labour Party engaging in various deceptive tactics to undermine the court proceedings. Recently, Otti and his associates have been publicly asserting that the complaints filed by the PDP and other political parties, which contested Otti's victory in the 2023 Abia governorship election, will be disregarded and dismissed.

In a same vein, Ahaiwe, in response to the situation, conveyed his gratitude through his Media Adviser, Mr. Victor C. Nwokocha, expressing his thanks towards his extensive network of supporters, legal team, family, friends, and colleagues.

According to his statement, there is no reason to be concerned about the tribunal's ruling, as he believes that truth and justice will finally prevail.

I possess unwavering trust in the Judiciary, as our legal team will meticulously scrutinize the tribunal's ruling and provide appropriate counsel for the subsequent course of action. I thus implore our extensive base of followers to maintain a state of tranquility and adherence to the law, as essential deliberations are being conducted over the judgment.

In the state, there was a prevailing sense of quiet elation upon the confirmation of Otti's victory, an outcome that had been widely anticipated in various circles.