Court dismisses PDP’s appeal, affirms Alex Otti as Abia governor

The court of appeal in Lagos, on Saturday, upheld the election of Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) as the governor of Abia state.

Okey Ahiwe, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had earlier challenged the outcome of the election at the tribunal.

Ahiwe claimed that Otti was unqualified to run for the election as he was not a registered member of the LP.

He added that the governor forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

On October 6, the tribunal upheld the election of Otti as the governor of the state.

Reacting to the appeal court’s ruling, Ahiwe, in a statement by Victor Nwokocha, his media adviser, called on party members and supporters to remain calm.

He expressed confidence in God and the judiciary.

He added that his legal team would review the judgment of the appeal court for further action.

“When we embarked on the journey to reclaim our mandate through judicial processes, it was a calculated resolution and we were conscious that the journey would not be a sprint but a peculiar marathon with inevitable twists and turns,” he said.

“Our destination was clearly defined from the onset, and our focus is unchanged. So, at this juncture, our faith in God is renewed, as well as our solid confidence in the judiciary.

“I therefore encourage all my supporters to stay calm, keep praying to God, and look beyond the eclipse of transitional sunset.”

He expressed gratitude to God, his supporters across political party lines, his dynamic legal team, family, friends, and well-wishers.