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Ahead of the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s judgement, billed to be delivered this Friday, Governor Alex Otti has urged President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other security agencies to be proactive and ensure non-violent reactions before, during and after delivery of the judgment in Umuahia, the state capital.
The Eastern Updates recalls that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and its governorship candidate in the March 18, 2023, election, Okey Ahaiwe, had filed a petition challenging the declaration of Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, who made the call, yesterday, during an interaction session with journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, noted that taking proactive measure has become necessary in view of some utterances on the imminent judgement by some groups.
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In a two-page address read to the journalists titled, ‘Abia Governorship Litigation: Call for Security Agents to Arrest Instigators of Terror and Insecurity in Abia,’ Ekeoma said that the attention of the state government was drawn to videos arising from two press briefings conducted by individuals suspected to have been hired by opposition elements, who were roundly defeated in the last governorship election in Abia.‘
He said that while during the first press briefing, which was held at Abuja four days ago, Abia Youth Interest Group (AYIG) alleged that Otti was using Abia funds to sponsor the litigation of the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, while another group, which he did not name, alleged that Otti’s government is sponsoring the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to cause terror in the state.
According to Ekeoma, they went further to call for Friday tribunal’s judgement not to be delivered in the state, because the state government had allegedly concluded plans to intimate the Justices to deliver the judgement in Otti’s favour or be killed if they fail to comply.
He argued that these allegations, which he described as weighty and have the propensity to cause disaffection, insecurity, breakdown of law and order and even endanger life and property of innocent citizens, should be investigated.
