Tribunal verdict: Otti dedicates victory to Abians, well-wishers

From PETER OKORE, Umuahia

Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti says he has dedicated his tribunal victory to Abians and his teeming supporters.

Speaking in his Nvosi Country-home, Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia state, soon after the governorship petitions tribunal affirmed his victory at the March, 2023 governorship election, Governor Otti thanked Abians for their massive supports before, during and after the elections.

He advised his opponents to sheath their swords and join hands with him to develop the state after many years in bondage and under-development.

“My advise to my opponents is that this is a good time to sheath their swords and join hands with me to develop our state , Abia. Anyhow you slice and dice it, it costs a lot of money to engage in litigations,” he.

“While I will not ask them to bring the money to me, I would advise that since all of them have villages that are dilapidating without access roads, amenities and without water, I believe that their communities will appreciate them the more, if they would channel those resources to building roads in their villages and communities.”

He suggested that the resources spent on litigations can better be used in providing pipe- borne water and ensuring that this state remains peaceful for the benefit of its inhabitants.

Governor Otti asserted that his victory shouldn’t have been contested in the first place and expressed joy that the wishes of the people have come to fruition.

His words: “If you follow the election and everything that happened thereafter, you will know that quite frankly, this victory shouldn’t have been contested in the first place; but then, I also do not deny my opponents their rights to go to court.”

The Governor thanked God for the victory and pledged to continue to serve Abians diligently, describing the victory as a reflection of the sacrifice made by Ndi-Abia in the 2023 Governorship election. He equally thanked the jurists and all those who ensured that justice prevailed in the end.

It will be recalled that both the Abia State governorship election petition tribunal and a Federal High court all sitting in Umuahia had on Friday dismissed three grounds of prayers brought by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Okey Ahaiwe against Governor Alex Otti..

The tribunal which delivered the Judgement, dismissed Ahaiwe’s case for lack of merit same with that of Ikechi Emenike against Otti.

On his part, Ahaiwe had challenged the declaration of Otti as the duly elected governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In his prayers through his Lawyer, Paul Ananaba, SAN, Ahaiwe had urged the court to remove Otti and declare him the winner. The PDP candidate said the electoral victory of Otti did not confirm with Section 77 of the Electoral Act, among other prayers.

However, the tribunal threw away all the requests, for lack of merit.

The victory threw thousands of Labor Party supporters who besieged the court premises, from different parts of the State, into spontaneous jubilation, as they danced in joy and celebrations outside the Federal High Court complex, umuahia.

BusinessHallmark understands that the expressions of joy and spontaneous jubilations that greeted the victory, were at no cost to the state government. This was as against what had become a norm in Abia in the past 23 years, each time PDP won her case in court or tribunals. Victories were , then, celebrated and turned into money-making for ”the boys” and frivolous spending with tax-payers money.

Meanwhile, the PDP in Abia State, through a statement by the publicity secretary, Mr. Abraham Amah, has rejected the judgment of the tribunal.

In the statement the party alleged that it is not surprised at the judgment because Otti and the Labour Party had been bragging that the petitions of the PDP and the other parties that challenged Otti’s declaration as winner of the 2023 Abia governorship poll would be thrown into the trash bin.

While thanking their members, supporters and all who stood with them on a journey the party had thought would strengthen the democracy, Amah called on their members and the good people of Abia State to remain calm and law abiding.

Similarly, PDP governorship candidate in the election, Ahiwe, has urged his supporters to remain calm as there is no cause for alarm over the verdict of the Abia State governorship election petitions tribunal which upheld the election of Dr. Alex Otti as the Governor of Abia State.

Ahiwe, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Victor Nwokocha, commended his supporters and legal team and assured that there is no cause for alarm regarding the verdict of the tribunal as truth will always triumph.

Expressing confidence in the Judiciary, the PDP candidate assured that his legal team would study the verdict of the tribunal and advice on wht should be his next line of action.