Judgement Day: Otti, Ahaiwe, Emenike know fate today in Abia

Ikechi Emenike of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Okey Ahaiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have filed petitions with the governorship election petition tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State’s capital. The tribunal will announce its decision on the petitions against Governor Alex Otti today.

Through his main Counsel, Tochukwu Maduka, SAN, APC guber candidate Emenike asked the court to remove Governor Otti from office on the grounds that Otti had not resigned from the APC when joining the LP in 2022.

Emenike claimed in his appeal that the LP improperly nominated Otti for governor in the 2023 election since his name was not on the party’s voter registration list.

Ikechi Emenike joined the complaint, naming as defendants the Independent National Electoral Commission and the political parties represented by Okey Ahaiwe of the People’s Democratic Party and Enyinnaya Nwafor of the Young Progressive Party.

PDP’s runner-up candidate from the March 18 election, Okey Ahaiwe, is also contesting Governor Otti’s victory in court, asking for a declaration that he should have been named the winner.

Through his main counsel, Paul Ananaba, SAN, Ahaiwe urged with the tribunal to take into account the evidence and arguments put out.

A PDP subpoenaed witness, Samuel Oduntan, also testified before the tribunal before the acceptance of the written speeches.

However, A.J. Owonikoko, Counsel to Governor Otti, adopted his written address in which he pleaded with the tribunal to throw out all of the cases against Otti.

In addition, he claimed that Samuel Oduntan lacked the mental capacity to stand trial.

Therefore, the SAN urged the court to uphold the verdict in favor of his client, Otti.

Since last week, various organizations in Abia State have been issuing increasingly angry statements in the media in anticipation of today’s verdict.

Since this week, the State’s media has been engaged in a battle of words over statements issued by the gladiators’ supporters.

Earlier in the week, the State government had disputed allegations made by a group that it had funded the legal challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 election that had been brought by the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Obi.

The statement also refuted claims that the state was funding the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in order to sow unrest in Abia.

The state administration of Abia also claimed that the two groups contesting Otti’s victory were behind the claims levelled against them.

However, in a response signed by Abraham Amah, Vice Chairman of the PDP in the State, the PDP categorically denied threatening tribunal members or backing any organization.

In March, INEC announced that Alex Otti of the LP had won the election for Governor of Abia with 175,467 votes.

Enyinnaya Nwafor of the YPP received 28,972 votes, putting him in third place, behind Okey Ahaiwe of the PDP (who received 88,527 votes).