Tribunal Struck Out PDP’s Petitions, Upholds Alex Otti Election

The governorship election petition tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State, has struck out the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) election petition against the governor of the state, Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP).

VerseNews reports that the tribunal, led by Justice H.T.D Gwadah, dismissed the PDP’s claims, including Otti’s qualification for the election, electoral malpractice, and Otti’s vote count.

It also pointed out that the petitioners failed to lead evidence on the allegation of forgery of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate leveled against Otti and could therefore not prove their case. The tribunal also noted that NYSC was also not a factor in qualifying or disqualifying a candidate.

The tribunal insisted that no witness called by the petitioners spoke on documents tendered to prove their allegation of overvoting which made the documents of no value. It also said that the petitioners failed to prove their claim that the result of Obingwa Local Government Area was taken to Abuja where it was allegedly doctored before being brought back to Abia to be declared.

The tribunal found the PDP’s petition lacked merit. The tribunal is now hearing the case between the APC’s governorship candidate and the Labour Party