Court of Appeal in Lagos has dismissed the appeals brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their governorship candidates against the election of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Court of Appeal in Lagos has dismissed the appeals brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their governorship candidates against the election of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
In a unanimous decision on Saturday, the three-man Appeal Court panel upheld the victory of Otti at the polls, saying that it conformed with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The appellate court ruled that petitions brought by the appellants lacked in merit, as they were like “a comedy skit brought to a democratic setting”.
The court said issues of political party membership is a pre-election matter, which also falls within the jurisdiction of the political party.
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It further said since Otti joined the Labour Party, won its primary election and submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he was qualified to contest.
On the issues of Bimodial Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, brought by the PDP and its candidate, the appeal court said the appellants failed to demonstrate or link their documentary evidence to the specific parts of the case.
The judgement has sparked celebration among the supporters of Governor Otti in some parts of the State. It came as the governor has concluded plans to increase the salaries of the Abia State workforce.
Otti disclosed the move in Umuahia on Friday night during a media parley with journalists, stating that he is engaging with stakeholders to improve the minimum wage of the state workers and that soonest, the package would be made public.
The reason for adjusting the package, he said, was in line with the realities at hand, especially the economy, adding that the recently retired permanent secretaries and directors would receive arrears of salaries and gratuities due to them while reassuring of his commitment to defray pension arrears in the state.