LP chieftain, Emma Uche tasks Abia citizens on support for Otti after inauguration
By Chijindu Emeruwa
Stalwart of the Labour Party from the southeast, Mazi Emmanuel Uche, has called for support from the citizens for the new Governor-elect of Abia state, Alex Chioma Otti, ahead of his formal inauguration in May 29th, after a keenly-contested and well-concluded gubernatorial seat elections held in the state on 18th March, 2023 by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The party stalwart assured the winner of the concluded 2023 gubernatorial election held in Abia state, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alex Otti, shall be swore in, as the duly democratically-elected Governor of the state.
Mr Uche who was reacting against the backdrops of the recent purported judgement by kano high court, nullifying Otti’s victory as the governor-elect of the state.
Recall Otti, a former bank chief and the gubernatorial flagbearer of the Labour Party(LP), polled a total of 175, 467 votes cast to beat his closest rival and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88,529 votes to come second in the just concluded state elections
The candidate of the Young Progressive Party(YPP), Enyinnaya Nwafor came a distant third with 28,972 votes while Mr Ikechi Emenike, the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress(APC), scored a total of 24,091 votes to gain a fourth place.
Earlier, Mr Uche, an ex-Abia chairmanship candidate and staunch associate of the state Governor-elect, while reacting on Thursday, reminded antagonists and instigators of the latest fictitious legal step that Otti’s emergence was shrouded on popular and people’s will, and warned them against heating up Abia polity unnecessarily over their obvious incapacitation to clinch political positions at the recently-held elections in the state by the national electoral commission.
He also cautioned against any attempt to truncate true democratic yearning of the people of Abia state, which they unanimously demonstrated at the just- concluded march 18 gubernatorial election held in the state in choosing Otti as their next governor.
Uche who noted Otti has continued to display uncommon resilience since emergence as the new governor elect of the state and had also reiterated in several occasions that his soon-to-be inaugurated administration will run all- inclusive government, wherein opposition parties will be given an enabling environment to come up with visionary ideas and positive inputs on development of the state for good of all citizens.
According to him, “these are mere distractions from the opposition members who have refused to admit their deserving defeats during the concluded 2023 state Governorship and houses of assembly elections in Abia by INEC.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that Alex Otti’s victory at the recently-conducted polls was the true reflection of the will of Abia people who had longed and yearned for efficient, effective and responsive governance in the state. Whatever unwholesome moves embarked by enemies of democracy and haters of transparent electoral process to thwart wish of the suffering populaces will be total disservice to the people. And they will ensure such nefarious scheme do not rear its head.
“The public should disregard these cheap lies and misinformation aimed to cause disaffection in our polity. Otti remains the Abia Governor-elect, and come 29th of this month, he shall be formally swore in, as the duly democratically-elected Governor of Abia state. And it had already been sealed by God”.
While further giving the assurance, Mazi Uche, a foremost Abia-born business tycoon, confided that Otti will deliver on his electoral promises having exhibited the enormous capacity and expertises in private sector driven leadership, and also called on people of the state to troop out enmasse on 29th of May, 2023 for the epoch-making swearing in ceremony of Dr Alex Chioma Otti, as the Governor of Abia state and winner of the concluded March 18 gubernatorial election held in Abia by the national electoral commission.
