The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has upheld the judgement of the tribunal affirming Alex Chioma Otti of the Labour Party (LP) as the duly elected Governor of Abia State in the March 18 Governorship poll. The Appeal Court dismissed separate appeals by Okey Ahiwe of the PDP and Ikechi Emenike of the APC, affirming the tribunal’s verdict.
The tribunal had dismissed the petitions challenging Otti’s victory, citing lack of jurisdiction in matters related to party membership and insufficient evidence to support claims of forgery and result manipulation. The Appeal Court concurred, stating that Otti’s membership in the Labour Party is a domestic affair of the party, and the petitioners failed to provide compelling evidence to support their claims.
The court further held that the issues raised by the appellants lacked merit and likened their petitions to a “comedy skit brought into a democratic setting.” The verdict solidifies Otti’s victory in the Abia State Governorship election, confirming the earlier decision of the tribunal.
