Why Otti Should Have Ceased To Be Abia Governor – PDP Lawyer Reveals, As Court Fixes Judgement Date

BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The Lead Counsel to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Okey Ahiwe, has told the governorship election petition tribunal that by the provisions of the constitution, Dr Alex Otti should no longer be the governor of Abia state.

Adopting PDP’s final written address on Thursday, the counsel, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, noted that the 67 days, constitutionally provided for Otti to file an appeal against the judgement of the Kano state federal high court in the suit instituted by one Ibrahim Haruna against Labour Party and INEC, has elapsed, therefore the Kano court judgment is binding on him and he should cease to be the governor of Abia State.

He further posited that PDP/Ahiwe are not practically dealing with pre-election matters, rather, non-compliance of the Labour Party to the provisions of the electoral Act 2022 in terms of submission of party membership register to INEC, party primary election and Congress.

According to Ananaba, the Labour Party failed to give notice of Congress nor primaries which “they claimed to have conducted”.

The legal counsel urged the tribunal to leverage on the evidences the petitioners have tabled before it to uphold the petition and grant all the leave as appropriate.

Earlier while adopting his final written address, counsel to Otti, A.J. Owonikoko, SAN, informed the tribunal that he filed four additional sets of addresses to; – object the petitioner’s subpoenaed witnesses and documents filed during trial; the limit of petitioner’s addresses and responses; the evidence tendered by the forensic expert, Samuel Oduntan employed by the PDP.

Owonikoko cited the appeal court’s judgement delivered on Wednesday, on the suit between Atiku Abubakar and INEC, noting that Oduntan is not a competent witness to the petitioner having not been included in their deposition.

“It is immaterial that he was brought to court to testify by way of subpoena” he added.

The counsel urged the tribunal to dismiss Oduntan’s evidence and the entire petition of the PDP.

On his own part, counsel to Labour Party adopted his final written address and also urged the tribunal to dismiss PDP’s petition.

The tribunal adjourned till October 6, 2023 for ruling.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.