WE AWAIT INEC TO SWEAR-IN OTTI – OYE
The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),
Chief Victor Ike Oye, said yesterday that the party is awaiting the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to swear in its
candidate, Dr. Alex Otti as the new Abia State governor.
INEC was last Thursday ordered by the Appeal Court which sat in Owerri, Imo State to swear in Dr. Otti.
He spoke to Daily Sun in Umuahia where he gave the reason Otti was yet
to be sworn in after the verdict of the Appeal Court which gave the
order that he should be sworn in within a specific time frame.
Oye said as a law-abiding party that believes in the Rule of Law, that
the Appeal Court made it clear that Otti won the election and so, INEC
should make arrangement to swear him as the governor.
“That was the ruling of the Court of Appeal that sat in Owerri. When he
will be sworn in is dependent on INEC,” Oye said. According to him,
“the court said INEC should make arrangement, it did not say that APGA
should make arrangement, the directive is very clear. If they had said
that APGA should do that, we would have sworn him in the same night,” he
explained.
He said that his party is following directive, “waiting for INEC to
give us the green light for him to be sworn in. The responsibility falls
on INEC for him to be sworn in. That was the ruling of the Appeal
Court, he explained further.
He stated that since the judgment was given, Abia people have been
up-beat, adding that they do not expect anything less and as far as the
2015 governorship election was concerned.
Meanwhile, the state police command has warned those demonstrating
against the Appeal Court judgment which sacked Ikpeazu to desist from
disturbing the peace, or face the wrath of the law.
But reacting, Ikpeazu said he has the right to remain in office pending
the outcome of the suit he filed at the apex court to challenge the
annulment of his victory.
Ikpeazu, in a letter his lawyer wrote to INEC, wondered why the court
overruled the tribunal, which upheld his election. His lawyer, Chief
Wole Olanipekun (SAN), had in the letter said: “Our client was elected
by the electorate as the governor of Abia State in the governorship
election held on April 11 and 25, 2015.
“Upon his return as the governor by INEC, Mr. Alex Otti and his
political party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) challenged his
return at the governorship election tribunal sitting at Umuahia, and
which tribunal dismissed their petition on November 3, 2015. Being
dissatisfied with the judgment of the tribunal, the petitioners appealed
to the Court of Appeal, and by the judgement of the Court of Appeal
delivered on December 31, 2015, the court allowed the appeal and
declared Alex Otti as governor of Abia State,” he said.
