Abia State election petition tribunal sitting in Umuahia has dismissed three grounds of prayers brought by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Okey Ahaiwe against Governor Alex Otti.
The tribunal which delivered the Judgement at about 1:20 pm, dismissed Ahaiwe’s case for lack of merit.
Ahaiwe had challenged the declaration of Otti as the duly elected governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
In his prayers through his Lawyer, Paul Ananaba, SAN, Ahaiwe had urged the court to remove Otti and declare him the winner.
The PDP candidate said the electoral victory of Otti did not conform with Section 77 of the Electoral Act, among other prayers.
However, the tribunal threw away all the requests, for lacking in merit.
Media Talk Africa reports that the victory threw thousands of LP supporters who came from different parts of the State into spontaneous jubilation, as they danced in joy and celebration outside the Federal High Court complex.
Meanwhile the tribunal is presently handling the case brought by Ikechi Emenike of the APC against Otti.
Emenike is asking the tribunal to remove governor Otti, on the allegations that he did not resign his membership of the APC before joining the LP.
The APC candidate in the March 18 guber election is also claiming that Otti’s name is not in the register of the LP when he contested the election.
