A Federal High Court presided over by Justice M N Yunusa has nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia, Kano and other states for allegedly failing to comply with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
By Emma Ogbuehi
A Federal High Court presided over by Justice M N Yunusa has nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia, Kano and other States for allegedly failing to comply with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
The Court in Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr. Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party (LP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30days before their Primaries renders the process invalid.
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“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act cannot be said to have candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted Vote as the decision of the Supreme court” the Judge ruled.
A source close to the Abia governor-elect, however told our correspondent that he is not perturbed by the pronouncement, stressing that it is merely an exparte motion, without consequential effect. According to the source, Exparte motions are often granted by judges in extreme cases without the defendant being in court of being served necessary notice. It normally lasts for only 14 days after the party affected by the order has applied for the order to be varied or discharged.
Otti, has also spoken on the development and urged Abians not to panic over his purported sack by a Federal High Court in Kano, saying there is no cause for alarm over the kangaroo judgement.
Otti said arrangements for his swearing- in on May 29 were on full gear as planned, declaring that the antics of the enemies of democracy cannot truncate the will of Abians.
This is as the Labour Party has dismissed the said judgment as a waste of time.