Observers Fault Court of Appeal Judgment on Abia Guber Election

The Coalition of INEC Accredited Domestic Election Observers, that monitored the April 2015 governorship election in Abia State, has faulted the ruling of the Justice Oyebisi Omoleye-led Panel of the Court of Appeal that nullified the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, saying the ruling was premeditated, stressing that the appellant court was wrong in declaring Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winner after cancelling the governorship election from three local government areas in the state, which include Obingwa, Osisioma, and Isialangwa North, where Governor Ikpeazu won.

The coalition which is made up of 33 accredited election observers include: African Initiative For Sustainable And Positive Development, Global Development Center For Rescue Mission in Nigeria, Justice and Equity Organization, Women Making Difference Initiative, Strength Of Nigeria Women In Democracy, Legislative People Oriented Support Initiative, among others.

In a statement issued in Abuja and jointly signed by leaders of 33 electoral observers that formed the coalition, the group said::

"We, the Coalition of INEC accredited election observer groups for Nigeria 2015 general elections views with great shock and dismay the recent Appeal Court judgement which awarded the electoral victory to the APGA gubernatorial candidate for the Abia State Governorship elections; Chief Alex Otti.

"Being the bonify, certified and accredited groups by INEC to duly observe the said election including the supplementary elections that cut across and staggered around nine Local Government Areas, the decision of the Appeal Court without due recourse to the fact on ground based on fair augment and reasoning is nothing but a slap on the face of equity and fair judgment.

"As INEC accredited election observers, it still beats our imagination as to what yardstick or parameter or judicial construct the Appeal Court had employed to declare the APGA gubernatorial candidate' Chief Alex Otti winner of the entire polling exercise.

"Based on the votes Court of Appeal allotted to APGA and PDP, it is still very wrong to have declared Alex Otti of APGA winner of the entire election considering the winning margin between them and the strength of voters in the three LGAs where elections were said to have been cancelled. The judgement therefore saw well over 120 000 eligible voters unlawfully disenfranchised. As stakeholders in the electoral process and exercise, the body of accredited observers joined Abia State indigenes to condemn the Appeal Court judgment because we see it as uncooked, hasty and premeditated.

"While we urge Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to seek immediate redress of the Appeal Court Judgement at the Supreme Court, we caution those incensing for urgent and quick swearing in of the APGA candidate, to see reason in the folly of desperation as the incumbent Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has declared his interest and determination to seek redress in the Supreme Court. It must be borne in mind that as an incumbent Chief Executive, he has his inalienable right to exhaust all judicial processes and measures to protect his God given mandate. So, until the Supreme Court conclude on his case Dr. Okezie Ikpaezu still remains the Executive Governor of AbiaState.

"It must be borne in mind that Obingwa is the immediate electoral constituency of His Excellency; Okezie Ikpeazu. So we deem the outright