ABIA: APGA guber hopeful Otti rejects Appeal Court verdict

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at the 2019 governorship election in Abia State, Alex Otti, on Friday disagreed with the verdict of the Court of Appeal that gave victory to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

The court, sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, had dismissed Otti’s appeal seeking to upturn the decision of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld Ikpeazu’s victory.

The APGA candidate, in a statement issued by his media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that he would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.

According to him, the election that returned Ikpeazu to office was “controversial and questionable”, adding that the governor had not done enough to uplift the sufferings of the people of the state and did not deserve a second term in office.

He said further that the appeal court judgment was greeted with sadness on the streets of Aba, Umuahia and other parts of the state.

The statement read in part: “On Saturday, the 17th of November 2019, a Governorship Appeal Court panel sitting in Owerri, Imo State, upheld the very controversial and questionable election of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as governor of Abia State.

“While the Abia atmosphere was expectedly enveloped by another round of sobriety, sadness and sorrow, as a result of the judgement, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and his men were celebrating in far away Lagos where hundreds of government officials had been flown to, for the reception of yet another deceitful, but mercantilist award used to hoodwink a non-performing government.

“For the Ikpeazus, their oppressive and clueless government got yet another judicial imprimatur to consolidate the maladministration that has caused horrendous devastation in Abia state.

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“True to the same path of ignominy and half smartness like his uncultured and ill-mannered aides who have been abusing and insulting Alex Otti before and after the Appeal Court Judgement, Okezie Ikpeazu hilariously urged Dr. Alex Otti to “Respect the Will of the People” which according to him, the judgement represents.

“The issue of Okezie Ikpeazu defeating Alex Otti is a fallacious, baseless and an amusing misconception of some moribund minds who ignorantly think that Otti can condescend to their level of nothingness by responding to their insults and mischievous distortions aimed at rewriting our history in a way Ikpeazu’s grand mediocrity and nationally acclaimed failure in governance would be hidden from intelligent minds.”

He said that he was confident that APGA would get justice while his team of lawyers advises him on what next to do.

“As our team of eminent lawyers thoroughly study the judgement to determine our next line of lawful action, we urge millions of devastated Abians not to be dampened, but to remain strong, resolute and faithful, even as we strive to ensure that the entrenched culture of consistent transfer of barton of leadership mediocrity in Abia is halted and broken for the sake of our suffering people”, the statement said.

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