Just in: Judge denies nullifying Abia Governor-elect, Alex Otti’s candidature

A rebuttal has come from the Federal High Court sitting in Kano which allegedly nullified the candidature of the Abia Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, of the Labour Party due for inauguration on May 29.

The court explained that it only nullified the elections of the party’s candidates in Kano State in the February 25 and March 11, 2023 polls.

Persecondnews recalls that the plaintiff, Mr Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, had filed an application seeking the court’s order revoking and setting aside the Certificate of Return issued to all LP candidates declared winner in Kano and the 35 states of the Federation including the FCT.

The respondents in the suit are Labour Party and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While handing down the judgment on Thursday, Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa had said the candidates who participated in the 2023 general elections in Abia were not parties before his court.

He declared: “This court lacks jurisdiction to make an order for the issuance of certificate of Return.

“They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate Division of the court.”

According to him, INEC was bound to insist receiving the registered members of the first respondent and that of other political parties 30 days before primary election in compliance with Section 77(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The section states that a party that has not complied with the Section 77(2)(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 cannot be declared winner of the election.

Nasir-Yunusa, therefore, declared the primary election of Labour Party in Kano State null and void.