The Abia State Labour Party Chairman, Ceekay Igara, has reacted to the court’s decision to dismiss Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, and other elected party candidates, stating that the decision is “dead on arrival” and cannot stand.
Igara claimed this in a statement issued to journalists in Umuahia on Friday afternoon, shortly after the court’s decision.
The chairman urged all Labour Party candidates and supporters to be cool and not panic, noting that the party’s attorneys were already on the case.
He also gave his assurance that the May 29 inauguration of the governor-elect would hold as scheduled.
Newsclick Nigeria earlier reported that Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court Kano nullified the candidature of Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia and Kano states.
The court ruled that their emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
A copy of the judgement delivered by the court was made available to journalists on Friday.
In the suit filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the court ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid.