The Supreme court docket has affirmed the election of Alex Otti because the governor of Abia State within the March 18, 2023 governorship election. In its lead judgement that was learn by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji at the moment January 12, the apex court docket held that the appeals of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Occasion (PDP), Chief Okey Ahiwe, and his counterpart within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ikechi Emenike, introduced earlier than it lacked advantage.

The apex court docket held that there was no authorized foundation to tamper with the concurrent findings of the Abia State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court docket of Enchantment, which earlier upheld Otti’s election.

In line with the apex court docket, the argument of the appellants that Otti was not a bona fide member of the Labour Occasion (LP) on the time the governorship election was held was immaterial within the face of Part 177(c) of the 1999 Structure, as amended. The apex court docket additionally held that since Otti didn’t stand for the election as an impartial candidate, there was little doubt that he was nominated and sponsored by a political celebration.

The court docket waved apart the competition that Otti’s title was not on the membership checklist of his celebration. The legislation mandates the LP to undergo the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), a minimum of 30 days earlier than its governorship main election.

The Supreme Court docket held that even when Otti’s title was not on the stated membership checklist, the PDP and its candidate lacked the locus standi to problem the matter in court docket, as doing so would quantity to “crying greater than the bereaved.”

It held that points bordering on the nomination and sponsorship of a candidate in an election had been a home affair of a political celebration, which the legislation forbids courts from meddling into.

The court docket held that the appeals contained points that predated the governorship election and had turn out to be statute-barred.

Consequently, it dismissed the appeals and affirmed Otti’s victory on the March 18, 2023 ballot.