By Kamsi Anayo
Abia state governor -elect, Dr Alex Otti, has dismissed his purported sack by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano.
He described the curious developmejt as a black market judgement which cannot stand.
He urged Abians not to panic over “the kangaroo judgement,”
Justice M. N Yunusa of Kano High Court, had in the controversial judgement, voided the candidature of the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, saying the party did not comply with the provisions of the 2023 Electoral Act in his nomination.
The suit marked FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 was filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna against Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The court ruled that the failure of the party to submit its membership register to INEC 30 days before it’s primaries rendered the process invalid.
Otti said he was not perturbed with the court ruling, adding that preparations for his swearing- in on May 29 are on full swim.
He said that the enemies of democracy would not be allowed to truncate the will of Abians.
This is as the Labour Party has dismissed the said judgment as “a complete waste of time.”
Otti who spoke through his Media Aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the “Kano court judgement does not hold water and stands on nothing.
” It has no basis, and nobody should bother about it. If they had a case why didn’t they file it in Abia?
” Even the one they filed in Kano, they intentionally did not want to join us. The judge knows that, and did not pass any verdict on us because Otti was not joined.”
The Governor-elect explained that similar cases had already been filed against two Labour Party House of Representatives candidates in Abia but were all dismissed even by the Supreme Court.
” The court had ruled on similar suit before the election and dismissed it. Similar suit was filled against two of our Representative candidates – Obi Aguocha, and Ginger Onwusibe which was abjudicated up to the Supreme Court.
” So, when they could not file this suit again in Abia, they sneaked to Kano, and somebody may have deceived or defrauded them.
” It’s just a waste of time.
PDP had also brought such matter against Peter Obi and the court ruled that it had no locus in it.
” The qualifications for one to stand election for governor or president have already been clearly stated in the Constitution of Nigeria. Non submission of party register to INEC cannot override the constitution of the country.
” So, those behind this suit know that similar matter had been abjudicated upon before. That’s why they didn’t come back to file it in Abia.
” They intentionally didn’t want to join us thinking they could get a black market judgement. But the Judge knew the consequences, and that is why he dodged it.
” They can look for another court to join us, and it’s only when they serve us that we can prove to them that similar suit had been dismissed before”.
Otti who said that the ruling could not stand, urged Abians not to lose sleep over it as he is busy with activities lined up for his Inauguration.
” There is no cause for alarm. My inauguration on May 29 is going on as scheduled. Abians should not bother”.
In his response, the Chairman of Labour Party in the state, Ceekay Igara, dismissed the judgement as of no consequence.
Igbara said the party was not served in the suit, wondering why any litigant would sue somebody without serving the respondent with the
summons.
Igbara, however, said that the legal team of the party had taken necessary steps to deal with the matter.
He accused the Apapa-led faction of Labour Party, of conniving with enemies of democracy to destroy the party.
“It’s Apapa and his sponsors that want to destroy labour party. They are moving from state to state trying to cause confusion in the state but they have failed woefully. We aren’t losing sleep over them”.