The Election Petition Tribunal Court in Umuahia has affirmed the victory of Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party in Abia State. The judgment was delivered at the Federal High Court in Umuahia on Friday, validating the outcome declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 18, 2023.
Despite legal challenges brought by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the court ruled in favor of Governor Otti and the Labour Party. It emphasized that matters related to party membership before the election are considered pre-election issues and should have been addressed before the election took place.
The court also stated that the petitioner (PDP) failed to present evidence or prove its case against the first respondent (Labour Party) concerning allegations of corrupt practices and irregularities during the election. Consequently, the PDP’s petition was dismissed for lacking merit, upholding the victory of Governor Alex Otti and the Labour Party in Abia State.
