Tribunal victory: Otti promises to serve Abia with greater zeal, passion
…Dedicates victory to Abians
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Basking in the euphoria of his court victory, Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has promised to serve the people with greater zeal.
Otti made the promise while reacting to his victory at the Abia State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which, in Umuahia, on Friday, October 6, 2023, affirmed him as the duly elected Governor of Abia in the March 18, Governorship election in the state.
The three-man tribunal panel, while delivering its ruling on petitions filed against Otti by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Chief Okey Ahiwe, as well as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, High Chief Ikechi Eenike, dismissed their petitions for lacking in merit.
Reacting to the tribunal’s ruling in his Isiala Nvosi country home in Isialangwa South Local Government Area of the state, Otti said his election should not have been questioned in the first place, because he overwhelmingly won at the polls fair and square.
“If you follow the election and everything that happened thereafter, you will know that quite frankly this victory shouldn’t have been contested in the first place. But then, I also do not deny my opponents their rights to go to court,” the Governor said.
Governor Otti thanked the judges for their sound judgement which, he said, reflected what happened at the polls and what majority of the people truly expected, maintaining that nothing enriches the legal jurisprudence and strengthens democracy more than dispensing justice to those that deserve it.
The Abia State Chief Executive called on his opponents to accept the judgement with humility and equanimity and join hands with him to work for the development of the state, knowing very well that he won the election clearly and assured them that he would work for the overall wellbeing of all Abians, irrespective of political party differences.
“My advice to my opponents is that this is a good time to sheath their sword and join hands with me to develop our state, Abia. Any how you slice and dice it, it costs a lot of money to engage in litigation. While I will not ask them to bring the money to me, I would advise that each of them have villages that are dilapidating: without roads, without water; and I believe that their communities will appreciate it if they would channel those resources to building roads, providing pipe-borne water, ensuring peace in their villages and communities for the benefit of the inhabitants,” he added.
The Governor gave glory to God for his tribunal victory and pledged to continue to serve Abians diligently, describing the victory as “a reflection of the sacrifice made by Ndiabia in the 2023 Governorship election.”
In dedicating his victory to the people of Abia state, especially his teeming supporters, he assured them that the victory would spur him to serve the people with greater zeal and passion as a way of appreciating their show of love and unflinching solidarity.
“Even though we never entertained any atom of fear over the suit filed against us, going by the landslide victory we recorded at the polls, coupled with the sound submissions made by our team of erudite lawyers to defend our victory, I was however moved by the unprecedented show of love, support and solidarity from our people which is a manifestation of their appreciation of the modest achievements we have recorded so far, hence my resolve to serve them with greater zeal and passion,” Otti said.
