The Abia State PDP governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections, Chief Okey Ahiwe, has reacted to the judgement of the Supreme Court which, in its ruling on Friday, January 12, 2024 affirmed Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party, LP, as the duly elected governor of Abia State in the March 18, 2023 governorship elections.
Reacting to the judgement, Chief Ahiwe appreciated God for sustaining him, and thanked his family, supporters, leadership and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, his able legal team led by Professor Paul Ananaba, friends, associates and Abians in general for standing by him through the challenging period of elections and protracted legal battle.
While affirming the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in the judicial process, Ahiwe congratulated Dr. Alex Otti and wished him God’s guidance in the discharge of his duties.
Chief Ahiwe while praying for the success of Abia State, called on all Abians to continue to be peaceful and law abiding, emphasizing that the future always holds greater promises and nothing can be achieved where there is no peace.
In his words, “We went to court in an objective exercise of our rights and our collective conviction, and now that the Supreme Court has delivered judgement, it is time to move ahead and embrace other prospects for the future. I therefore congratulate Dr. Alex Otti and wish him God’s guidance in the discharge of his duties.”
It would be recalled that following INEC’s declaration of Otti as the elected governor in the March 18, 2023 election, Chief Ahiwe and the PDP had approached the Abia State Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia to challenge the declaration. They subsequently went to the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division sitting in Lagos, to challenge the verdict of the Tribunal which upheld the INEC declaration. Dissatisfied with the ruling of the Court of Appeal that upheld the Tribunal verdict, they headed to the Supreme Court.
