The United Abia Artists and Patriots (UAAP), have cautioned those it describes as detractors of Abia State Governor-Elect, Alex Otti, against setting the state on fire by orchestrating his illegal removal.

It urged those behind the push to displace the Governor-elect, to stop forthwith and allow the Governor-Elect focus on delivering good governance.

Spokesperson for the group, Barrister. Chucks Akamadu, said this at a Press conference in Abuja, on Monday.

The group was responding to a now disclaimed Kano Federal High Court judgement which allegedly annulled Otti’s election.

Reading the text signed by the Convener of UAAP, Amb. (Dr.) Osita Offor , the Secretary and Legal Adviser Chuks Akamadu explained that over the past 24 years, the people of Abia State have been at the receiving end of misgovernance and massive looting of their common patrimony.

This, he said explains why the Kano judgement was a joke taken too far. He said, “Truth is that given the mood of Abians, the time is hardly auspicious for such jokes.

He explained the last gubernatorial election in Abia State was a battle between a political cabal that has impoverished the people and Abians themselves.

According to him, “This is the fierce battle Dr. Alex Chioma Otti OFR has been fighting for the past 8 years, but this time around the people stood their ground and God’s help saw us through.

“That is why Abians have christened 18 March 2023 as Abia State’s “Independence Day”. The day Abians defeated the political criminal cabal that have held the people hostage, hijacked our commonwealth and impoverished the masses.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Abians believe that that contemptible Kano ruling is a little part of the grand plan of same cabal to truncate the mandate the Abia electorate freely gave their Governor-Elect, Dr. Otti or create enough distraction for him through the judiciary.”

Presenting the group’s set of demands, Akamadu said, “Abia State is precious to us and the people have suffered so much hardship and deprivation, we demand that the judiciary should henceforth refrain from entertaining ill-conceived suits that are clearly designed to embarrass it as temple of justice or bring the institution to odium and allow Dr. Alex Otti to focus on fixing our badly battered state for us.

“Abia State at the moment is the most peaceful state in South East, judiciary should not allow itself to be used to destroy the peace of the state or put it in harm’s way.

“We demand an immediate end to mischief-making and all acts that are capable of hurting Abia’s democratic journey by the soon-to-expire gang of political profiteers, else they would have the full wrath of highly inflammable Abia masses to contend with”.

He further said, “In the next few days, Dr. Alex Otti will be sworn in as governor to enable him commence the process of rebuilding and recovering our state that was destroyed and plundered by the PDP, so Abians are enjoined to ignore the Kano ruling that purports to be consequential.

“Abians voted Alex Otti because they believe in him, they believe he is prepared for the job, they know he does not have a godfather, they know he has been the only vocal opposition for the past 8 years and they see the new Abia in him.”

Recall, the presiding Judge of the Federal High Court in Kano, Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa had in a judgement in a matter brought before him by a faction of the Labour Party in Kano.

He clarified his position when he declared that the candidates who participated in the 2023 general election under Labour Party in Abia were not parties before his court, UAAP said they were being proactive to ensure that some characters in the state do not rely on the court judgement and create confusion in the state. (Vanguard)

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