Court Judgement Sacking Otti, Other Elected Candidates Of Labour Party, Cannot Stand - Ceekay Igara Says, Calls For Calm

Igara who doubles as the Abia state Labour Party chairman while reacting on Friday, to the court judgement which emanated from a Kano state Federal High Court, maintained that it is only the Tribunal that has the jurisdiction to handle election matters, adding that the Labour Party was not served with the motion before the judgement.

The Chairman, charged all Labour Party members elect, and party faithfuls to remain calm and not panic as the party's lawyers are already on top of the matter, adding that "we have not lost any of our candidates".

He also noted that the May 29 inauguration of the Abia state governor elect, Dr. Alex Otti, will hold as scheduled.

In his words;

"It has been brought to my attention a judgement from a Federal High Court in Kano state, where we were not served, we didn't know that there was a matter there. It was just by accident yesterday, that the Kano state chairman went to that court and when he went to that court, he said there was a judgement from that court by the Apapa Led group.

"A court cannot pronounce a relief that were not sought. It is only the Tribunal that can handle a case of election and cases are before the Tribunal and we are following up on that.

"The matter is quite under control, our lawyers are handling that; nobody should panic, we have not lost any of our candidates, we have not lost our governor- elect, we are still going to inaugurate him on May 29. Nobody should lose sleep; none of our elected candidates in the House of Reps, Senate, state House of Assembly and our dear governor elect, nobody should lose sleep over this. It is already under control, it cannot stand.

"Continue with your activities, there is no cause for alarm; our lawyers are already on it, we have everything under control".

Justice M. N. Yunusa of a Federal High Court sitting in Kano State in a judgement dated May 18, 2023. ruled that the Labour Party's participation in the recently concluded 2023 general election is null and void on the grounds that the party did not select their candidates in line with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

"Every registered political party is bound to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of it's activities and any activity of the political party not done in compliance with the Electoral Act are void ab initio" the judgement read in part.

The judgement came on the heel of a suit filed by Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and INEC, seeking that the court nullifies the primary election conducted by the party and declare votes casted for Labour Party candidates as void on the grounds that the party failed to submit it's members register to INEC 30 days before the primary election.

SEE THE COURT JUDGEMENT BELOW: