Following purported Court judgement by the Federal High Court in Kano State, nullifying the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, the United Abia Artists and Patriots (UAAP) has called on those behind the push to displace the Governor-elect to refrain from that and allow him focus on delivering good governance to the state.
Though the Presiding Judge of the Federal High Court in Kano, Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa said the candidates who participated in the 2023 general election under Labour Party in Abia were not parties before his court, UAAP said they were being proactive to ensure that some characters in the state do not rely on the court judgement and create confusion in the state.
Reading the text signed by the Convener of UAAP, Amb. (Dr.) Osita Offor , the Secretary and Legal Adviser of the group, Barrister Chuks Akamadu said for the past 24 years, Abia State has not witnessed anything close to good governance, the people have not tasted any benefit of democracy, neither have they felt anything close to good leadership.
“This explains why the Kano judgement is a joke taken too far. Truth is that given the mood of Abians, the time is hardly auspicious for such jokes”, he said.
He said the last gubernatorial election in Abia State was a battle between a political cabal that has impoverished the people and Abians themselves.
“This is the fierce battle Dr. Alex Chioma Otti OFR has been fighting for the past 8 years, but this time around the people stood their ground and God’s help saw us through.
“That is why Abians have christened 18 March 2023 as Abia State’s “Independence Day”. The day Abians defeated the political criminal cabal that have held the people hostage, hijacked our commonwealth and impoverished the masses.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Abians believe that that contemptible Kano ruling is a little part of the grand plan of same cabal to truncate the mandate the Abia electorate freely gave their Governor-Elect, Dr. Otti or create enough distraction for him through the judiciary”, Barrister Akamadu said.
While presenting it’s demands, UAAP said “Abia State is precious to us and the people have suffered so much hardship and deprivation, we demand that the judiciary should henceforth refrain from entertaining ill-conceived suits that are clearly designed to embarrass it as temple of justice or bring the institution to odium and allow Dr. Alex Otti to focus on fixing our badly battered state for us
“Abia State at the moment is the most peaceful state in South East, judiciary should not allow itself to be used to destroy the peace of the state or put it in harm’s way.
“We demand an immediate end to mischief-making and all acts that are capable of hurting Abia’s democratic journey by the soon-to-expire gang of political profiteers, else they would have the full wrath of highly inflammable Abia masses to contend with”.
The group assured Abians and Nigerians in general that the mandate of Dr Otti is safe and secured and cannot be stolen.
“In the next few days, Dr. Alex Otti will be sworn in as governor to enable him commence the process of rebuilding and recovering our state that was destroyed and plundered by the PDP, so Abians are enjoined to ignore the Kano ruling that purports to be consequential.
“Abians voted Alex Otti because they believe in him, they believe he is prepared for the job, they know he does not have a godfather, they know he has been the only vocal opposition for the past 8 years and they see the new Abia in him”, Barrister Akamadu added.