Court Of Appeal Affirms Otti As Abia State Governor, Dismisses Case As Comedy

By Akinwale Kasali

The Court of Appeal  Owerri Division which was relocated in Lagos State has affirmed Dr Alex Otti of the Labour Party, LP, as the duly elected Governor of Abia State.

The Court on Saturday December 2nd, 2023,  dismissed the appeals of both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lack of merit.

The Appellate Court dismissed the issues around qualification as pre-election matters, describing the appeal as a huge joke in what qualifies as a “Notable Pronouncement” having regard to the meagre votes the appellants polled and their attempt to outstage other candidates who scored substantially higher votes.

The Court while ruling on the appeals by APC’s Ikechi Emenike and PDP’s Okey Ahiwe said it finds that such can only happen in a comedy skit.

It quoted Abraham Lincoln and traced the concept of democracy from its place birth of Greece as the will of the majority, declaring that the majority of the Abia electorate clearly voted Alex Otti as Governor.

It dismissed the appeals with a cost of one million naira awarded against the appellants and in favour of the respondents.