Dr Alex Otti 


By Tony Icheku


The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, on Tuesday declared that Abia is free as two Goliaths have been cut down in the political structure of the State as seen in the outcome of the 2023 General Elections, where LP swept off six out of eight House of Representatives seats and one Senatorial seat.


Otti,  speaking during  a courtesy visit on Monday by the victorious LP National Assembly candidates including the duo of Senator-elect Darlington Nwokocha (Abia Central) and House of Representatives member-elect, Ginger Onwusibe (Isiala-Ngwa South and North), added that more of such political Goliaths will still fall.


The LP candidate favoured to win the March 11, 2023 Governorship Election in Abia congratulated Nwokocha and Onwusibe and five other LP candidates who have just won their elections to the Federal House of Representatives, including:


Hon Darlington Nwokocha


i.  Emeka Nnamani - Aba South/North


 ii. Munachim Alozie, Obingwa-Osisioma-Ugwunagbo


iii. Ibe Okwara Osonwa,Arochukwu-Ohafia


 iv.  Amobi Ogah, Isuikwuato-Umunneochi


v.  Obi Aguocha, Ikwuano-Umuahia N/S


In a statement signed by Kazie Uko, for the Alex Otti Campaign Council quotes Otti as saying that "There may have been attempts by some political brigands to thwart the will of the people, but overall I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that the results coming from Abia largely represent the will of the people.


"Today, in Abia, two Goliaths have been brought down. I can assure you that more Goliaths will still be brought down. At the last count, I believe that we have six out of the eight House of Reps seats and that calls for celebration," a highly elated Otti remarked. 


Chief Obi Aguocha 


The two Goliaths brought down may be a reference to the out-going governor of Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu and the out-going Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, son of former governor Theodore Orji, both of whom lost their elections to the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively. 


Otti told Nwokocha and Onwusibe that their victories were deserving, commending them for working very hard in their campaigns. He said he was not surprised, adding that the duo earned it.


However, he admonished them not to take for granted the confidence reposed in them by their constituents as, according to him, power has now returned to the people. 


"People have reposed confidence in you and handed a mandate to you. You have a responsibility to deliver on that mandate and if you don't deliver, the people will either recall you or they would vote you out. So, what we have seen now is that power has returned to the people," he said.


Otti urged  the victorious candidates to gear up as the party prepares for the governorship election. He said: "We're just 12 days away from 11th of March. This is the day we will seal everything. If we worked hard last Saturday, I'll like us to know that we will need to work five times as hard."


Speaking earlier during their visit with a large crowd of ecstatic supporters, Nwokocha and Onwusibe thanked Otti for his support and for being the leading light of Abia renaissance.


"We have come to our Leader to tell you that we are back and that we have counted all the soldiers and there is none missing," Onwusibe said as he paid obeisance to Otti.


"Your Excellency, I want to on behalf of Abia Central to congratulate you for having very strong voices that will feature in the green and and red chambers of the National Assembly. I told you sometime, severally, when we were about setting out, go and campaign in Abia South, Abia North, leave Abia Central for me.


"Your Excellency, I want to tell you that the Abia Central people are comfortable to have you as a governor. Each time we set out for campaign, we knew quite well that the product that we have that will lead this state is the one that will give the state all it wants. And I can tell you as a ranking member of the National Assembly, there is nothing you will be looking for, as far as Nigerian budget is concerned, that this man here cannot provide. 


"You're so lucky, so, so lucky that the man that is running away from the Government House (Governor Okezie Ikpeazu) performed so abysmally. So any little thing that you put up as infrastructural development will be so obvious and very well accepted that the people may wonder if you're a magician," the newly minted Senator-elect,  Nwokocha said as he extolled Otti's leadership qualities.