Following the affirmation of Alex Otti’s victory by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on March 18, the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has vehemently rejected the tribunal’s judgment, labeling it a grave miscarriage of justice.
Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State, issued a statement expressing the party’s strong disapproval of the verdict. He stated, “This verdict handed down by the three-man panel is the mother of miscarriage of justice. It is unacceptable, and we reject it.”
Ononogbu went on to condemn the tribunal’s judgment unequivocally and announced the party’s decision to appeal the ruling. He expressed deep concern about the implications of such a judgment on the common man’s faith in the justice system.
“As a party, we approached the tribunal with fundamental issues that questioned non-compliance and qualifications. We provided substantial evidence and facts in support of our petitions but were surprised that the tribunal closed its eyes against all the evidence before it and averted justice,” the statement continued.
The Abia APC raised concerns about external influences on the tribunal proceedings, insinuating that undue pressure may have been exerted on the judges to sway the verdict in favor of a particular client, despite the presence of abundant evidence supporting their case.
The statement further noted, “Abia is aware that extraneous forces were at play during the proceedings. There was a high-ranking individual whose inappropriate presence during one of the proceedings was viewed with suspicion. It was part of the machinations to intimidate, coax, and arm-twist the judges to pervert justice and deliver judgment in favor of a particular client, irrespective of abundant evidence before the tribunal.”
The Abia State government, led by the Labour Party, had allegedly displayed confidence in the tribunal’s outcome even before the verdict was delivered, which the APC finds deeply concerning.
