Otti Laughs Off Kano Court Verdict, Tells Abians No Cause For Alarm

Abia Governor -elect, Dr Alex Otti, has urged Abians not to panic over his purported sack by a Federal High Court in Kano, saying there is no cause for alarm over the kangaroo judgement.

Otti who spoke with Vanguard in Abia, said arrangements for his swearing- in on May 29 were on full gear as planned, declaring that the antics of the enemies of democracy cannot truncate the will of Abians.

This is as the Labour Party has dismissed the said judgment as a waste of time.

Similarly, the Labour Party Chairman in Abia State, Hon. Ceekay Igara, said the court’s “pronouncement is laughable”.

According to him, the decision of the court would have no significance in the coming inauguration of the governor-elect.

Igara added that only the election tribunal is bequeathed the power to sack a democratically elected person.

He said, “That court pronouncement is laughable. Everybody should go about their normal activities. It is only the tribunal that can remove Alex Otti.

“It is not just a court that will remove someone who was duly elected. Infact I am going to gear up activities for the inauguration”.

A controversial judge Mohammed Yunusa had in Kano, nullified the participation of Governor-elect Alex Otti in the March 18 governorship and state House of Assembly elections.

Mr Yunusa had declared that the Labour Party in Abia State did not submit its party register to INEC 30 days before the primary elections and thereby rendered the nominations of the party’s candidates void.

It would be recalled that in 2016, the National Judicial Council (NJC) found Yunusa guilty of bribery and other judicial misconduct and recommended that he be forced to retire.

President Muhammadu Buhari declined to ratify the NJC recommendation, putting the issue on hold for five years and forcing the judicial body to reinstate Mr Yunusa.