Abia guber poll: APGA candidate congratulates Otti ahead of final declaration of result
By Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Pending the resolution of the impasse arising from the collation of results of the Abia State governorship election, candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Professor Greg Ibe, has congratulated the Labour Party flag bearer, Dr Alex Otti who is already coasting to victory according to the results of 16 out of 17 Local Government Areas in the state.
Otti is leading in 10 out of the 16 LGAs so far declared.
The Labour Party candidate polled 171,747 votes while candidate of the ruling party, Chief Okey Ahiwe, crawled behind with 79,477 votes.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has suspended collation following alleged widespread irregularities in Obingwa LGA.
Obingwa where Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu hails from, is the only outstanding LGA in the state whose results is yet to be declared due to alleged doctoring of the figures.
INEC Commissioners from Abuja is to storm the state on Tuesday to review the controversial Obingwa results and give directives
Pending the outcome of their visit, Professor Ibe has appealed to Abians to remain calm.
He said that despite allegations of widespread irregularities, he was satisfied the the ruling PDP might not retain power beyond May 29 going by the results of the poll.
The APGA candidate expressed joy that another person would take over and rebuild the state from the ruins of under development.
Professor Ibe in a statement he personally signed said that the effort to rescue Abia would still be sustained under the watch of Otti who is already leading the polls.
“Though information sourced from our election situation room confirm wide spread irregularities across the state, with Obingwa leading some other Local Government Areas in recording the unique malfeasance of non deployment of BVAS machines, it is no longer news that the Labour Party has so far garnered sufficient votes to emerge victorious.
“Therefore ahead of formal declaration of the official result I want to congratulate my brother Dr Alex Otti, candidate of the Labour Party for his consistency so far in the battle to liberate Abia from the shackles of under-development and well deserved victory at the polls.
“I want to enjoin the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to leave no stone unturned in their effort to solve the current impasse by eliminating from the ongoing process of collation of results, obvious cases of electoral fraud, and by so doing ensure substantial compliance to statutory provisions of the new electoral act, especially as it pertains to conduct of elections using the BVAS machines.”
