JUST IN: Court Sacks Abia Gov-Elect, Alex Otti, LP Candidates In Abia, Kano

With just a few days to swearing-in, a federal High Court sitting in Kano State has nullified the candidate of Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, and all the candidates of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia and Kano States.

The judge of the court, Justice M N Yunusa handed down the judgment.

Justice Yunusa ruled that the candidates’ emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 electoral act.

Reports say a copy of the judgment delivered was obtained on Friday morning.

One Mr. Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim filed a suit with No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023, against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Acting on the suit, the court ruled 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.

“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have a 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 ruled.

Recall that Kanyi Daily had on March 22, 2023, reported that INEC declared  Otti the winner of the Abia State governorship election.

Otti was declared the winner after scoring 175,467 in the election. Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came in second with 88,529.