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The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Wednesday reaffirmed Governor Bassey Otu as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Cross River State.
In a swift reaction, the governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Ogbeche, in a statement, expressed happiness.
The governor was quoted as saying, “This ruling should bring an end to litigation on the outcome of the governorship election. For those in the opposition, especially my brother, Prof. Sandy Onor, I once again offer you a hand of friendship. Come and join my administration so that together we can move our state forward and bring about the dividends of democracy.
“My administration is fully re-energised to deliver on the People First Mandate, which is on track to repositioning our state for effective and responsive governance. I solicit the support and patience of all Cross Riverians as we navigate the challenging times towards the Cross River of our dreams.
“Let me reassure all our citizens that we are working round the clock to ensure that we deliver the best governance for our people. It is important also to note that reparations are in top gear for a robust and successful Calabar festival, while we continue to address other socio-economic and developmental issues.”
The Court of Appeal dismissed for lack of merit the appeal filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sandy Onor, who had earlier suffered the same fate before the election petition tribunal on September 26, 2023.
The tribunal verdict has now been re-affirmed by the Appeal Court.
Otu was declared winner of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission having polled a total of 258,619 votes winning in 15 of the 18 local governments of the state to defeat his closest rival, Onor who garnered 179,636 votes.
