The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a response following the removal of Dr. Alex Otti as the Governor-elect of Abia State.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the party has challenged Otti’s claims that the recent Kano Federal High Court ruling, which led to his ouster, was a deliberate scheme orchestrated by the PDP and the Abia State Government.
Otti’s spokesperson, Ferdinand Ekeoma, had dismissed reports allegedly sponsored by the PDP and the Abia State Government, labelling them as baseless and misleading.
However, in an official press release from the Abia PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Elder Abraham Amah, the party expressed its awareness of the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Kano.
Recall that the court ruled that Otti and other Labour Party candidates in Abia State were ineligible for their positions due to the party’s failure to submit its register of members to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the stipulated 30-day period before the primaries, as required by the 2022 Electoral Act.
Amah clarified that it was Mr. Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim who filed the application seeking to invalidate the certificates of return issued to all Labour Party candidates declared winners in Kano and Abia States.
The PDP emphasised that the court, relying on the provisions of the amended Electoral Act, granted Mr. Ibrahim’s request.
The statement further emphasised that the Abia PDP did not initiate legal action against the Abia governor-elect or the Labour Party in the Federal High Court in Kano.
However, the vice chairman says as a responsible political party, the Abia PDP has instructed its legal team to examine the judgment closely.
Moreover, the Abia PDP has already submitted a petition against the governor-elect and the Labour Party to the Abia State Election Petition Tribunal. The party is also exploring additional legal avenues to reclaim what it considers to be its rightful mandate.
The PDP urged the people of Abia State to remain calm and peaceful during this period, assuring them that justice will prevail once the Election Petition Tribunal delivers its judgment.
In the case (Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023) brought against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Mr. Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim, the court ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to INEC within the prescribed timeframe rendered the party’s primary process invalid.
Consequently, the judge ruled that a party that did not comply with the electoral act provisions cannot have a valid candidate or be declared the winner of an election, deeming the votes cast for the first defendant (Labour Party) as wasted votes.
