10th October, 2023
By Sam Obinna Ibe/Umuahia.
A renowned Legal Practitioner in Abia State, Barr. Godwin Iheonukara Chionye has commended the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia for upholding the victory of Dr Alex Chioma Otti of the Labour Party (LP) in the just delivered judgement, noting that he clearly won the March 18, 2023 election as the true choice of Abians.
He, therefore, described the other two governorship candidates of PDP and APC who filed petitions against Otti as pretenders who did not have what it takes to win.
Barr. Chionye said that the Abians were excited because Governor Alex Chioma Otti was the choice of the people.
He added that other governorship candidates such as High Chief Ikechi Emenike of All Progressives Congress, APC and Chief Okey Ahiwe are pretenders and that they did not have the political muscle, influence and popularity to win the said election while reiterating that the tribunal verdict which dismissed their petitions in support of Otti has proved once again that the ex-banker turned politician was the anointed choice of Abians and residents alike.
He described the PDP Governorship candidate, Chief Okey Ahiwe as another pretender who did not have the pedigree to defeat the most preferred Labour Party Governorship candidate, Otti, pointing out that he was not surprised that the tribunal dismissed their petitions by upholding the pronouncement of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of Abia State 2023 Governorship election.
“How can he win? the person who sponsored him, that is, the former Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu even failed in his Senatorial bid to represent Abia South Senatorial District in the last election. How can Ahiwe, PDP governorship candidate win?
Chionye also spoke on the petitions filed against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, saying though he was not a supporter of President Tinubu, he warned those challenging him in the Supreme Court based on alleged certificate forgery, that their actions would end up to be an exercise in futility because it was a pre-election matter.
“I wonder why senior lawyers are deceiving people when they know what the Electoral law stipulates on the issue of alleged forgery of certificates,” Chionye said.