The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in March, declared Otti of Labour Party as the duly elected governor with 175,467 votes.
The election of Governor Alex Otti has been upheld by the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the state capital.
The three-ground suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Chief Okey Ahiwe, seeking the sack of Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party was struck out by the tribunal for lacking in merit.
In a unanimous judgement, the three-member panel led by justice H.T.D. Gwadah, on Friday, dismissed the petition, stressing that it remained a pre-election matter and not to be entertained by a post-election tribunal.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in March, declared Otti of Labour Party as the duly elected governor with 175,467 votes.
Ahaiwe of the PDP came second with 88,527 votes, while Enyinnaya Nwafor of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 28,972 votes.
Okey and his party later filed a petition seeking for the removal of Otti as the state governor on the grounds of non-conformity with section 77 of the electoral act and other related matters.