The executive members and the supporters of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State have urged the party’s governorship candidate in the April general elections, Dr. Alex Otti, not to abandon the people’s mandate given to him at the election.
Chieftains of the party from Isialangwa North, Isialangwa South and Osisioma Local Government Areas made the call at a well-attended solidarity rally, which took place at Amankwo Mbawsi in Isialangwa South.
The Leaders and youths of the council areas, who took turn to speak, urged Otti to appeal against the judgment of the trial tribunal, which upheld the election of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu.
They described the judgment as “unacceptable and a mockery of democracy,” saying that Otti clearly won the election but was shortchanged by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The National Treasurer of the party and former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Damian Ozurumba, told the people that Otti had already commenced the process of filing an appeal against the judgment.
Ozurumba urged the people to remain resolute and unshakeable, assuring them that no efforts would be spared by the party to reclaim its mandate.
“It’s our mandate and we must reclaim it. Nobody will take it away from us,” he told the large crowd.
He said that the rally was organised for the people “to demonstrate that the judgment is unacceptable to us and to urge Otti to pursue the mandate to the logical end, including going to Supreme Court if necessary.”
A former Chairman of Isiala Ngwa South, Chief Tony Onwutebe, along with Chief Shine Osondu and Christopher Nwachukwu, in their separate speeches, urged Otti not to relinquish the mandate given to him by the people.
“We are here to assure our brother, Otti, that we are solidly behind him and that we will continue to protest until he recovers our mandate,” Onwutebe said.
He described Otti as ‘’a dogged fighter and the only person that has the capacity to fight and recover the mandate.”
Addressing the crowd, Osondu said that the judgment left an opening for APGA to recover its mandate and urged the people not to despair.
“You should remain steadfast because the end of the struggle is imminent and there will be light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
The spokesman for the youths, Henry Nelson, and the Woman Leader, Mrs Bridget Abel, said that they were not satisfied with the judgment and urged Otti to appeal against the judgment.
There was a consensus among the people that APGA would regain the mandate at the Appeal Court which, according to Ozurumba, had men of integrity and honour.
“At the Appeal Court, you have seasoned judges, who are appointed to sit and determine cases on a regular rather than ad-hoc basis like the tribunal, where judges are handpicked from different areas to sit over a petition,’’ he said.
In his speech, Otti assured the people that he would not relent in his determination to get justice and ensure that he recovered the stolen mandate. Represented by his younger brother, Obioma, the governorship candidate said that “this is the beginning of the fight.”
Otti, who was the former Managing Director/Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc., said that he joined the governorship race in order to serve the people.
Placards with different inscriptions, such as “Restore our mandate to Dr, Alex Otti,” “This is injustice by Abia Tribunal”; “Go to Appeal Court – Ngwa leaders of tomorrow,” among others, were displayed by the youths at the event.
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