Justice M N Yunusa of Federal High Court, Kano has nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor elect Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia State, Kano and the rest states in Nigeria for failing to comply with the provisions of the 2022 electoral act.
The Court in Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit it’s membership register to the Independent National electoral commission within 30days before their Primaries renders the process invalid.
“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted Vote as the the decision of the Supreme court” the Judge ruled.
Reacting, a former Attorney General of Abia State and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN), dismissed the judgement, describing it as “inconsequential”.
Kalu, the Abia State Coordinator of the Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Organization, described the judgement as inconsequential and dead on arrival.
He said: “The judgement is Inconsequential and dead on arrival. It is dead on arrival because Alex Otti is not a party to the suit. I have seen the judgement. You cannot make an order to anybody that is not a party before you. The issues they raised there are the same thing they raised at the tribunal. They said that the membership register of the Labour Party (LP) was not submitted 30 days before— and— all these issues were raised at the tribunal. Elections have come and gone; candidates accepted by INEC, elections conducted, results declared. Any issue that has to do with that election, the only arena for it is the election tribunal. The issue they raised is pre- election matter.
“But, even on the merit, the Kano case is dead on arrival. You cannot shave anybody’s head in his absence. Alex Otti’s name was not mentioned in that judgement even though I think he is the target.”
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