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Alex Otti’s Long walk To Abia Govt House

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At last, Alex Otti of the Labour Party on Wednesday achieved his long-term ambition of becoming the Abia State Governor.

Undaunted by his past failures, the former Managing Director of Diamond Bank now politician polled a total of 175,466 votes to floor his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88,526 votes.

The Independent National Electoral Commission Returning Officer, Prof Nnenna Oti, declared Otti winner of the Abia State governorship election after she announced the controversial Obingwa Local Government Area results.

Otti’s Labour Party won in 10 LGAs, the PDP in six LGAs, and Young Peoples Party in one LGA. The Returning Officer, therefore, declared the LP candidate the winner at the INEC headquarters in Umuahia, the state capital.

Born on February 18, 1965, the former banker is not a novice in the political arena as he had earlier in 2015 gunned for Abia’s highest political office and declared the winner before the judiciary handed the baton to the outgoing Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP.

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He had then contested under the All Progressives Grand Alliance. The Court of Appeal had in its judgement in December 2015 removed Ikpeazu and declared Otti the winner of the April 11 and 25 governorship poll before the Supreme Court upturned the verdict and restored Ikpeazu as governor.

READ ALSO: Your Votes Broke Gates Of Hell, Otti Tells Abia Voters

Otti, who hails from the Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area, had his secondary school education at Ngwa High School, Aba and Secondary Technical School, Okpuala Ngwa in Abia State. After his secondary school education, he graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1988 from the University of Port Harcourt. He also earned an MBA degree from the University of Lagos in 1994.

Road to Government House

On April 17, 2022, Otti, then a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, threw his hat into the ring for the state’s top job.

Otti, who made his intentions known on Easter Day, said his ambition would mark the end of the crucifixion of the state. During his declaration, he explained that his quest to change the political trajectory of the state informed his decision to abandon his flourishing banking career as a managing director to join politics in 2013.

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We have resolved to bring change to Abia State by pursuing clear economic policies that will bring prosperity to Abians,” Otti promised.

READ ALSO: 5 Facts About LP Candidate, Alex Otti Who Ended PDP’s Reign In Abia

Surprisingly, on May 2022, the renowned banker withdrew from the APC governorship primary election in the state. He had based his withdrawal on claims that the election outcome had already been predetermined by vested interests.

He alleged that a memo from the National Legal Adviser of the party to the state chairman dated May 18, 2022, had imposed a strange sharing formular on the APC aspirants in Abia.

He said, “… it’s my firm belief that anyone who wants to govern Abia State and Abians must be someone who has been democratically chosen by the people, and not one imposed by undemocratic or external forces pursuing self-serving agenda that would undermine the welfare and wellbeing of Abians at the long run.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Labour Party’s Alex Otti Wins Abia Gov’ship Poll

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“In light of the above-stated facts, I hereby withdraw from the predetermined governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress slated to take place in the next few days.”

On May 28, 2022, barely 72 hours after withdrawing from the APC governorship primary, Otti formally joined the Labour Party. He joined LP with a factional chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Acho Obioma.

On June 8, 2022, Otti won the LP governorship ticket after he polled a total number of 454 votes to emerge unopposed during the party’s governorship primary.

He said, “You have started a movement which no cabal can stop. We are the party the majority of people who deserve good leadership in the state are looking for.

“The symbol of our party is human beings. I, therefore, urge you to join me as we work hard to win the 2023 governorship election and make life easier for our people,” Otti said in his acceptance speech.

On December 28, 2022, Otti in his Christmas and New Year message to the state vowed to retrieve his mandate which, he alleged, was stolen in 2015.

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According to him, the votes of the people would enable him to change the narrative and return Abia to the path of peace, growth, and development.

Between 2015 when the mandate you passionately and unanimously gave to us was brazenly snatched away by the oppressors and today, I have neither slowed down nor withdrawn from asking critical questions and taking practical measures geared towards ensuring that those who have seized our Commonwealth in Abia are not allowed to continually enjoy underserved affluence while insulting our sensibilities.

READ ALSO: Abia Guber Poll: Otti Wins In 10 LGAs, PDP 5

“On my side, as your son, brother, friend and servant-leader seeking to render selfless and people-oriented service to our state and her people, I am prepared more than ever to align with other like minds to ensure that those holding our state down do not have any single opportunity to steal your vote in 2023 more so, given the change in the electoral laws and process.

“Remember, no freedom has ever been achieved easily anywhere, hence the need for us to increase our resolve and redouble our efforts aimed at reclaiming and rebuilding our state for the good of all,” Otti said.

True to his words, Otti was declared the governor-elect on Wednesday after he polled the most votes to defeat his rivals from other political parties.

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The expectation of a large number of the Abia population is that he will walk his talk and change the narrative in governance delivery in the state many say has not been fortunate in that regard, the potential for growth and development notwithstanding.
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INEC Disowns LP’s National Convention

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has disowned Wednesday’s Labour Party‘s national convention held in Anambra.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said this in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyekanmi said that the conduct of the convention was not monitored by INEC, declining to state further why it was not monitored.

The LP had on Tuesday shifted the national convention from Umuahia in Abia to Nnewi, Anambra State.

Speaking on the venue change, the LP National Legal Adviser, Mr Kehinde Edun, told newsmen that the party had duly informed INEC about the change in venue and date.

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READ ALSO: [BREAKING] Edo Guber: Labour Party Aspirant Withdraws From Race, Cites Monetisation 

No, it is holding in Anambra. Nnewi, to be precise, not Umuahia in Abia State again. In fact, Umuahia was not even the first venue we chose. Benin was the first choice before we changed to Umuahia and now Nnewi.

“So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and the time,” Edun said.

Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states that political parties shall give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting.

This includes the convention or meeting convened for “merger” and electing members of its executive committees and other governing bodies or nominating candidates.

(NAN)

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Labour Party Reserves 2027 Presidential Ticket For Peter Obi

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…Oti Gets automatic ticket for Abia Guber

The Labour Party’s highest decision making body, the National Convention, has announced it has reserved its 2027 ticket for the party’s leader, Mr. Peter Obi.

In the same breath, the party also announced a right of first refusal for the Abia State Governor, Alex Oti, should he decide to seek reelection on the party’s platform.

This decision was contained in a Communique issued after the party’s National Convention, held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.

It was signed by the re-elected National Chairman of the party, Comrade Julius Abure, and National Secretary, Umar Faruk Ibrahim.

READ ALSO: Abure Re-elected Labour Party National Chairman; NLC Kicks

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The communique read in part: “The Convention in session based on the antecedents of the Presidential candidate before, during and after the 2023 General Election recommend that the 2027 Presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the National leader of the party.

“Furthermore, the Convention in session reviewed ongoing development and performance of its Governor in Abia state, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti and pass a vote of confidence on him and recommend the 2027 Abia state Gubernatorial ticket of the party be reserved for His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti.”

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Edo Guber: 17 Parties Beat INEC Deadline For Candidates’ Nomination

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Seventeen out of 18 political parties who conducted primaries for the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election have beaten the deadline for the nomination of their candidates on the special portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 27 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 p.m. on March 24, 2024, when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.”

According to him, the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday, March 30, 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

READ ALSO: Edo 2024: Igbinedion Breaks Silence On Obaseki’s Handling Of PDP, Party’s Choice Of Running Mate

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The Commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 21, 2024,” he stated.

 

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