Alex Otti Picks Abia APGA Ticket For 2019 Guber Election, Says The Battle Has Just Began.

Ugochukwu Eke.

The Abia governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the  last election, Dr Alex Otti has been elected once more to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming elections in the state.

Otti who garnered 574 votes out of 619 accredited delegates during the governorship primary of the party held in Umuahia over the weekend won the election in which he was the sole candidate as his opponent had chosen to hold a parallel primary.

Announcing the result in Umuahia, the returning officer and national welfare officer of the party, Carol Dike Okoroafor said that there were 610 accredited delegated with 574 voting for Otti while 36 votes were void because most of them marked their cards twice.

Okoroafor who was the chairman of the primary election committee said that the exercise was devoid of any rancor as the security apparatus of the state were on hand to ensure security while the primary was also monitored by officers of Abia INEC.

In his acceptance speech, Otti said that the time to liberate the state from the hands of the cabal that have held the state down and rebuild it is now as no stone will be left unturned in an effort to ensure equitable distribution of amenities to all parts of the state.

Otti thanked his party members for once more reposing such implicit confidence on him just like they did in 2015, assuring that this time around that they votes and mandate will not be stolen again.

The APGA governorship flag bearer who titled his speech, ‘We are much closer than when we began’, said that his being selected to lead the party to 2019 election will help in liberating the state from bad governance and brigandage.

He said, “Four years ago, you gave me your mandate and we won with the aim of uplifting the state, however it was truncated by the enemies of progress who were led by those cabal who have held the state down”.

“Our opponents are aware that they are waging a war against national justice, equity and good conscience, they are pharaohs that kept the Israelites captive and they are afraid of God who is ready to challenge them, enough is enough”.

“They have made every efforts to ensure that we do not come out to challenge them during the next election and take over government house in 2019 and begin the process of liberating the state from their wicked hands”.

“This was the reason behind their making us to engage in several battles such as sponsoring someone to go to court over a case that has no bases and also sponsoring another to destabilize our party which we all resisted”.

“When all these fail they resorted to using a compromised judicial officer to scuttle the rapid growth of our party, with this mandate, we have just crossed the first huddle, the big one is still before us, but there is nothing that can stop a band of determined people”.

In his reaction, the candidate for Abia North senatorial district of the party, Dr David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex described the exercise as very peaceful and well organized, saying that the battle has just began.

The telecom expert said that the people of Abia North should expect nothing but the best from him as he has never started anything which he is not sure of leaving an indelible mark for the good of the people.

Bourdex said that the time to give the people of Abia North senatorial district is now as the area does not have a senator, but one who have been at the National Assembly for his own personal gains.

He noted that the road from Akara junction in Isuikwuato to Uturu where the state university is situated in the same council has been cut off, ‘Yet you say we have a senator, why wait for the road to get to this state before making noise, things have to change for good”.

The top flight business guru used the opportunity to call on the people of the neglected senatorial district, “We need to shine our eyes during the forthcoming elections to do the needful with our PVCs else we will be where we are while others will move ahead”.