The Court of Appeal in Lagos on Saturday affirmed the election of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
The court dismissed appeals brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), along with their respective governorship candidates, challenging the election victory of Governor Alex Otti.
In a unanimous decision on Saturday, the three-man Appeal Court panel affirmed Otti’s victory, stating that it complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The court characterized the petitions from the appellants as lacking in merit, describing them as akin to “a comedy skit brought to a democratic setting.”
The court clarified that issues related to political party membership are pre-election matters falling within the political party’s jurisdiction.
Regarding Otti’s qualification, the court emphasized that since he joined the Labour Party, won its primary election, and submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he was qualified to contest.
Addressing the concerns about the Bimodial Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) raised by the PDP and its candidate, the appeal court stated that the appellants failed to demonstrate a clear link between their documentary evidence and specific aspects of the case.
The court’s decision has led to celebrations among Governor Otti’s supporters in various parts of the state.
This comes a few months after Kano state court dismisses Alex Otti’s candidacy and other Labour Party (LP) candidates in Abia.
