In a significant ruling, the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State, has upheld the election of Governor Alex Otti, dismissing the petition brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lacking merit. The tribunal’s decision, which confirms Otti as the duly elected governor of Abia State, was delivered by Justice H.T.D. Gwadah.
The PDP had challenged the outcome of the March 18, 2023 poll, but the tribunal ruled that the issues raised in their petition were pre-election matters and, therefore, fell outside its jurisdiction. In addition, the petitioners failed to provide evidence for their allegations, including claims of forgery of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate against Otti. The tribunal noted that NYSC was not a factor for disqualifying a candidate, and the petitioners failed to prove their case.
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Furthermore, the tribunal pointed out that none of the witnesses presented by the petitioners provided credible evidence regarding their allegations of overvoting. The documents they tendered to prove this claim were deemed of no value. Additionally, the tribunal rejected the petitioners’ assertion that the results of Obingwa Local Government Area were tampered with in Abuja before being declared in Abia, as there was no substantial evidence to support this claim.
Following the tribunal’s ruling, the counsel for the petitioners, Chukwuemeka Nwaogu, stated that they would review the judgment and determine their next course of action in accordance with the provisions of the law.
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CeeKay Igara, the Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia State, praised the tribunal’s decision, describing it as a true reflection of the people’s will who had overwhelmingly voted for Governor Alex Otti.
This ruling by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal affirms the legitimacy of Governor Alex Otti’s election victory, marking a crucial milestone in Abia State’s political landscape.
Source: Channels Television
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