Otti calls the bluff of Kano court sacking him, says plans for his inauguration will go on

The sacked Abia State governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, on Friday, called the bluff of the Federal High Court, Kano that nullified his election, urging Abians not to panic over his purported sack.

According to Otti, who spoke to Vanguard after the ruling of the court, there was no cause for alarm over the judgement which he described as kangaroo.

Otti further said that arrangements for his swearing-in on May 29 were in full gear as planned, declaring that the antics of the enemies of democracy cannot truncate the will of Abians.

The Labour Party has also dismissed the said judgment as a waste of time.

Ripples Nigeria reports that the election of Otti, as Abia’s governor-elect, was nullified by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano State on Friday.

READ ALSO:Abia governor-elect, Otti, sets up 75-member inauguration committee

The court, presided over by Justice MN Yunusa, also nullified the candidature of all Labour Party flagbearers in Abia and Kano States, ruling that their emergence was not in compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act provisions.

Justice Yunusa gave the ruling in the Suit marked FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by one Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission {INEC}..

The judge held that “The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election; this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted vote,” the judge held.

Justice Yunusa further held that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid.

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