Abia PDP Rejects Election Petition Tribunal Verdict Upholding Otti’s Election, Heads To Appeal

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The opposition people’s Democratic PDP  in Abia State, South-East Nigeria has rejected in its entirety Friday’s judgment of the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, upholding the election of incumbent governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) as winner of the gubernatorial poll, held on 18th, March 2023

Reacting to the verdict via a statement, Hon.  Abraham Amah, Abia PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary, said, they were astonished by the judgment.

“Abia PDP listened to the judgement delivered by the 3-man Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which upheld the victory of Alex Otti as the governor of Abia State following the March 18, 2023 governorship election and rejects it in totality.

The statement added: “We are not surprised at the judgement because all along, Alex Otti and the Labour Party carried on with all manner of subterfuge to subvert the judicial process and a few days ago, Otti and his men have been around town bragging that the petitions of the PDP and the other Party that challenged Alex Otti’s declaration as winner of the 2023 Abia governorship election would be thrown into the trash bin.

According to the statement, “Such braggadocio was clearly sub-judice and speaks to many infractions on the Nigerian law and the judicial process including the fact that Alex Otti and his men already knew the outcome of the judgement, days ahead of today. It is our firm belief that the justices erred in their judgement.

“Having rejected the judgement, the Abia PDP has conferred with our team of excellent lawyers and based on our understanding that the learned justices erred, we are appealing the judgement as a means to correct the wrongs by the election tribunal.

“As a responsible and law abiding corporate citizen, the Abia PDP wishes to restate our democratic credentials anchored on the principles of rule of law, justice, law and order and also reaffirm our firm belief in the judiciary as one of the strongest pillars of democracy.

“We thank our members, teeming supporters and all democracy lovers who stood with us all the way; before, during and after the elections as we embarked on a journey meant to strengthen our democracy and right the wrongs inflicted on the electoral process by desperate politicians who are bent on having power at all cost.

The PDP said “We call on our members and the good people of Abia State to remain calm, law abiding, and have faith in the ability of the current PDP leadership to do the right things going forward.