Alex Otti

The candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, has been nullified by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano State presided over by Justice M N Yunusa.

It was on the Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by one Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The candidature of all Labour Party flagbearers in Abia and Kano States were also Yunusa also nullified by Yunusa who ruled that their emergence was not in compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act provisions.

According to the judge, “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.”

He added that the failure of the Labour Party “to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries render the process invalid.”