Abia guber: Otti appeals against tribunal judgement

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April general elections in Abia, Dr. Alex Otti, has filed a notice of appeal against the judgment of the trial tribunal which sat in Umuahia and handled his petition.

Speaking on the development in Umuahia with newsmen, Otti’s counsel, Mr Oracle Nwala, said that the notice of appeal was filed at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abia state capital on Wednesday.

According to Nwala, Otti took the measure after consulting with leaders of his party as well as major stakeholders and a cross-section of the people of the state freely gave him during the election.

He said, “The people of the state needed to be consulted before the next step is taken by my client as you all know that the people massively voted for him during the governorship election.”

He further expressed the hope that the Court of Appeal would grant Otti’s prayer to be declared the winner of the poll, “Considering the judgment of lower tribunal, which upheld the cancellation of the results of the election in three local government areas.”

Nwala said, “Otti has implicit confidence in the ability of the judiciary to assuage the yearning desire for justice by the people of Abia, who voted for him to bring positive change and transform their lives.”

Otti appealed against the judgment, urging the Appeal Court to remove the figures recorded in favour of the cancelled local government areas and declare him the winner.

It will be recalled that the three-member tribunal, headed by Hon. Justice Usman Bwala, while delivering their judgment said that the petitioner failed to prove that the elections were not held at Obingwa, Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North council areas.

Justice Bwala said that the panel has searched through the electoral act and did not find any where the returning officer is empowered to cancel the result of an election and therefore upheld the reversal of the cancellation of the election in the three council areas.

The panel chairman noted that the petitioner took part in the supplementary election and is now asking the tribunal to jettison the supplementary election result and use the main election to declare him the winner, “You cannot probate and reprobate in an election.”