Tribunal will deliver ruling on Abia gubernatorial election on October 6

The date of the hearing on the petition contesting Mr. Alex Otti’s declaration as the victor of the Abia State governorship election on March 18, 2023 has been set for October 6, 2023 by the Abia State Petition Election Tribunal, which is located in Umuahia, the state capital.

Chief Ikechi Emenike, the All Progressive Congress’ candidate for governor in the March 18 governorship race, had petitioned the court to have Otti fired due to claims that he had not resigned from his membership prior to joining the Labour Party.

In addition, he claimed that prior to Otti’s nomination as the party’s governorship candidate, his name was not in the Labour Party registry.

The petition was also signed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nana Nwafor of the Young Progressives Party, Okey Ahaiwe of the People’s Democratic Party, and them.Abiodun Owolekoko (SAN), Otti’s lead attorney, expressed optimism on behalf of his team over the tribunal’s decision in support of his client.

“We have been on for a while,” he remarked. There is a circle on the election petition. Judgement, adoption, and trials have their proper times.

“We have completed the trial and adoption today, and the tribunal has scheduled the judgement for October 6th.”Tochukwu Maduka (SAN), Emenike’s attorney, asserted that the defendant’s attorney neglected to present the Labour Party register including his client’s name.

In his statement, he claimed that his team begged the court to void Otti’s votes, as well as those of the PDP and YPP candidates, and to declare his client the legitimate victor of the race based on the biggest number of legitimate votes cast.

PDP lead attorney Professor Paul Anaba stated that while his team supported the petitioner’s decision to fire Otti, the PDP will gain from the suit because the former’s claim that Otti should not have resigned as chief of staff is legally baseless.