ABIA: ‘You Have Not Made Any Point’ — Judge Tells Malami In Appeal To Sack Gov Alex Otti

The Supreme Court has reserved judgments on appeals challenging the election of Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) after taking arguments from the legal team of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and others.

Abubakar Malami, a former Attorney-General of the Federation who is the counsel for the APC and its candidate, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, had asked the Supreme Court to declare that Otti was not duly sponsored by the LP.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Otti winner of the Abia State governorship election with 175,467 votes.

Okey Ahiwe of the PDP and Enyinnaya Nwafor of the YPP trailed Otti with 88,529 and 28,972 votes respectively.

But the PDP and APC challenged his election victory both at the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court but lost out.

The Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State dismissed the appeals finding that the APC and the PDP did not adduce evidence to prove that Otti was not a member by LP or that the votes he scored were forged.

The appeal court also held that membership and sponsorship by a political party remain a pre-election matter and the internal affairs of a political party.

At the proceedings on Wednesday, Malami asked the five-man panel of the apex court chaired by Justice Inyang Okoro to allow his appeal and set aside the judgment of the lower courts.

“Learned silk, what is there in this appeal? You have not made any point(in your brief). What can we do for you?,” Justice Helen Ogunwumiju asked Malami.

Malami replied that the constitutionality associated with the sponsorship of a candidate by a political party makes his appeal a noble one.

He contended that Otti and other respondents were not constitutionally sponsored by their party because at the time of the election, they were members of another political party.

He argued that the APC’s evidence was improperly expunged by the Tribunal and affirmed by the Appeal Court.

Justice Okoro asked Malami who was entitled to contest the sponsorship of a political party.

Malami said any interested party can challenge it.

Tobechukwu Nweke, counsel for Otti told the apex court that there is nothing novel about the appeal by the APC because the Supreme Court had made several pronouncements saying sponsorship and membership by a political party remained an the internal affairs of a political party.

The PDP’s legal team alleged before the court that the results in Obingwa LGA of Abia state were shortchanged against his client.

But Onyechi Ikpeazu, counsel for Otti, urged the apex court to dismiss the PDP’s case because the lower courts held their evidence was not credible.

After hearing the parties, the Supreme Court reserved judgment.