Otti praises Nwokocha, Onwusibe, urges Abians to be vigilant

• "Two Goliaths have been killed"

Abia State Labor Party gubernatorial candidate in the March 11 elections, Dr. Alex Otti, has described the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections as the turning point of the political odyssey of the state.

Otti, who described the results recorded in the state as a sign of a new trend in Abia state politics, said the elections had dismantled two Goliaths, who so far , kept the state in place.

Speaking while receiving at his home two successful Labor National Assembly candidates, Senator-elect Darlington Nwokocha (Abia Central) and House of Representatives-elect Ginger Onwusibe (Isialangwa South and North), Otti said more of these political Goliaths will fall anyway.

Otti congratulated Nwokocha, Onwusibe and five other Labor Party candidates, who have just been elected to the House of Representatives.

The other elected are Emeka Nnamani, Aba South and North; Munachim Alozie, Obingwa-Osisioma-Ugwunagbo; Ibe Okwara Osonwa, Arochukwu-Ohafia; Amobi Ogah, Isuikwuato-Umunneochi and Obi Aguocha, Ikwuano-Umuahia.

The Abia State Labor Party won six seats in the federal constituency, out of eight, and one out of three seats in the Senate in Saturday's National Assembly elections. Otti said, “Some political thugs may have tried to thwart the will of the people, but overall I can tell you without fear of being contradicted that the results coming out of Abia largely represent the will of the people.

“Today in Abia two Goliaths were shot down. I can assure you that more Goliaths will be shot down. At last count, I think we have six of the eight seats in the House of Representatives and that deserves to be celebrated."

Otti's reference to two downed Goliaths may be a reference to outgoing Abia governor Okezie Ikpeazu and outgoing state assembly speaker Chinedum Orji, son of former governor Theodore Orji, who both lost their elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively.

Otti told Nwokocha and Onwusibe that their victories were deserved and praised them for working hard in their campaigns. He, however, urged them not to take for granted the trust that their constituents placed in them, because, according to him, power has now returned to the people.

"People have trusted you and given you a mandate. You have a responsibility to fulfill that mandate and if you don't people will call you back or they will reject you. So what we have seen now , is that power has returned to the people,” he said.

He urged the winning candidates to prepare as the party prepares for the gubernatorial election. He said: “We are only 12 days away from March 11. This is the day we will seal everything. If we worked hard last Saturday, I would like us to know that we will have to work five times harder. Speaking earlier during their visit to a large crowd of ecstatic supporters, Nwokocha and Onwusibe thanked Otti for his support and for spearheading Abia's revival.

"We have come to our leader to tell you that we are back and have counted all the soldiers and none are missing," Onwusibe said. "Your Excellency, on behalf of Abia Central, I would like to congratulate you on having very strong voices that will feature in the Green and Red Chambers of the National Assembly. I once told you individually when we were about to leave, go campaign in Abia South, Abia North, leave me Abia Central.

“Your Excellency, I want to tell you that the people of Abia Central are comfortable having you as their governor. will lead this state is the one who will give the state everything it wants and I can tell you as a prominent member of the National Assembly, there is nothing you will seek, as far as the budget is concerned Nigerian, which this man here cannot provide.

"You are so lucky, so, so lucky that the man who ran away from Government House (Governor Okezie Ikpeazu) was so disastrous. So any little thing you will present as infrastructural development will be so obvious and very well accepted that people might wonder if you are a magician,” Nwokocha said.