The appeals filed against the election of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their governorship candidates have been dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Lagos.
In a unanimous decision on Saturday, the three-man Appeal Court panel upheld the victory of Otti at the polls, asserting that it conformed with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The court ruled that the appellants’ petitions lacked in merit, stating that they were as ‘a comedy skit brought to a democratic setting’.
It clarified that issues of political party membership is a pre-election matter, which also falls within the jurisdiction of the political party.
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.
Our correspondent reports that there is wide celebration among Abians and supporters of Governor Otti in some parts of the State, following the judgement.
