LP stakeholders optimistic of Otti’s victory

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

As Abians wait with anxiety for the final collation and declaration of the state’s governorship election result scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today, stakeholders of the Labour Party (LP) have expressed optimism that its governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, would carry the day in the end.

Their optimism is based on what they say is the outcome of the review of the Abia governorship election result carried out by INEC at its Abuja national headquarters on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Revelations from the stakeholders indicate that the INEC directed that results collated manually from the contentious Obingwa local government area should be rejected while only votes recorded by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) should be collated as valid votes.

This would bring the total number of accredited voters in Obingwa to about 27, 000 and if that is the case, Labour would still maintain its lead with over 60, 000 votes margin.

Briefing his constituents after the Abuja review trip via the social media, the House of Representatives member-elect for Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Chief Obinna Aguocha, told Abians to remain calm as “light has triumphed over darkness and good over evil.”

The incoming federal lawmaker wrote: “The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) has finished the Obingwa LGA election review, including the Governorship and two House of Assembly seats. They concluded that only BVAS accredited and captured voters will count as real voters. 

“Earlier, rumour had it that Obingwa had almost 26,000 accredited voters for both the House of Assembly and Governorship elections, respectively. Now, we can verifiably state that the total number of all the accredited voters for both elections were less than 11,000.

“INEC has accepted this BVAS figure as the rightful and real votes accruing from the entire Obingwa LGA. With this development, PDP have also lost one House of Assembly seat previously declared for them in one of two Obingwa State Constituencies. 

“Finally, INEC is currently collating the final pieces of Obingwa LGA zigzag. Within the next two hours, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, having satisfied all the constitutional requirements, will formally be declared the Governor-Elect of the great State of Abia.

“A new dawn and fresh air has come to Abia State. I am grateful to God, my election was used as His mighty tool to liberate Abia State from bandage. Dr. Otti’s election has consolidated the liberation, and granted us freedom from tyrants; happiness, peace and compassion shall engender a purposeful reset and sustainable development of Abia State.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28”

High Chief Obi Aguocha, the immediate past Pesident-General of Ohuhu Development Union who holds the chieftaincy titles of Ogwumabiri Umuahia and Udo Ji Aguocha Ohuhu, assured Abians that Labour Party would make them proud in the service and sacrifice for the State.

Also, while participating in a radio programme monitored in Umuahia Tuesday night, the Spokesman of Dr. Alex Otti Campaign Council, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, emphatically said that his principal is the next governor of Abia State.

Ekeoma said that his assumption was predicated on the outcome of the INEC review of the governorship election result from Obingwa which still puts Otti in the lead ahead of other contenders.

Ekeoma, however, urged all supporters of Otti to keep calm and maintain the peace and patiently await the official announcement of the Labour Party candidate as the winner of the 2023 Abia Governorship poll.

Meanwhile, the INEC has invited all stakeholders to the INEC office at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia by 4 p.m today, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, for the continuation of the collation of the governorship election result.

The collation of the result was suspended on Monday, March 20, 2022, following disagreements over the contentious governorship election result from Obingwa which is the only outstanding local government result, but which INEC reviewed in Abuja on Tuesday.