Despite Supreme Court verdict, APGA’s Otti insists Ikpeazu, PDP did not win Abia gov’ship election

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Alex Otti is still insisting that Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rigged the 2019 governorship election in Abia State.

Otti who was reacting to the dismissal of his appeal by the Supreme Court which reaffirmed Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, as the duly elected Governor of the state said that Ikpeazu could not have won the 2019 governorship election, especially when he had a disastrous outing in his first term.

The APGA governorship candidate in a statement issued on Tuesday morning in Umuahia, however urged the people of Abia to accept the temporary setback and remain peaceful and law abiding.

He further disclosed that he and his party, APGA, have accepted the judgement with equanimity, devoid of anger and bitterness.

The statement by Otti reads in part; “On Wednesday January 8, 2020, the Supreme Court of Nigeria finally resolved issues concerning the 2019 Abia governorship election. Sadly, the court dismissed our appeal mainly on technical grounds that revolved around the Electoral Act, and not on the basis of lack of evidence or inaccuracy of our facts.

READ ALSO: Kogi govt, labour set up committee on new minimum wage; will the negotiations ever end?

“In spite of what the Supreme Court says, we remain convinced that Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and his party did not, and could not have won the 2019 governorship election, especially when he had a disastrous outing in his first term, the climax of which was his nationally acclaimed oppression of Abia workers and Pensioners who were being owed 12 months and 22 months arrears respectively as at the time of the election in question, a record that has gotten worse since after the election.

“We were also not surprised that Abians received the judgement with graveyard silence and sorrow while the governor and his allies celebrated the verdict, expectedly. Let’s thank all of you that have kept faith and remained supportive; just like us, you want a much better deal of good governance for our dear state of Abia. You want an Abia you can proudly call your own. May we remind you that sometimes, in disappointments come greater strength, opportunities, and better results; this shall be our case in the end.

Otti had asked the Supreme Court to annul the results of the 2019 governorship poll in 13 of the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia, alleging irregularities.

But a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, reaffirmed the election of Ikpeazu as the rightfully elected governor.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now