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Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has replied opposition parties in the state who are challenging his victory during the last governorship election in the state with a testimony that he never formally resigned his membership of the latter before contesting the election in March.
The Eastern Updates recalls that two witnesses told the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Umuahia that Governor Otti did not resign his membership of the APC before contesting the governorship on the platform of Labour Party
Friday Ugorji, who testified as PW2 in the governorship election petition filed by Chief Ikechi Emenike of the APC said that he is the chairman of Ward 5, Isiala Ngwa South LGA and that Alex Otti is the number one in the ward’s party register of APC.
Replying to the allegation, the governor, through a press statement signed by Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, his Special Adviser (Media & Publicity), said his attention had been drawn to the false allegation.
The statement read: “The attention of the governor of Abia state has been drawn to the ridiculous report being sponsored and circulated by some wailing opposition politicians who are at the tribunal to challenge his victory, alleging that the governor did not resign his membership of the All Progress Congress (APC) before joining Labour Party, on whose platform he contested and won the March 18 governorship election.”
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The press statement said the governor had chosen to ignore both PDP and APC but that his silence was creating panic in the minds of his supporters, hence his resolve to address the issue.
The statement further read: “We had chosen to ignore the peddlers of the false and unfounded report because of our resolve to ignore cheap distractions and face the business of governance squarely, coupled with our informed understanding that media razzmatazz, self-serving fabrications and propaganda do not win a case in court, especially for unpopular candidates with incurable baggage, however, on realising that our silence is causing unnecessary panic amongst some of our innocent members, we therefore wish to clear the air by stating as follows:
“Governor Alex Otti duly resigned his membership of the APC at his ward in line with the provisions of the constitution before joining the Labour Party. His resignation letter was duly received and acknowledged by the then ward chairman who prior to that time was recognised at all levels as the Ward chairman.
“The individual being paraded by the defeated APC governorship candidate Chief Ikechi Emenike as the APC chairman of Ward 5 Isialangwa South LGA is an impostor hired to do a failed dirty job, so he and his paymasters should be ignored.
“The very unpopular and roundly defeated APC and PDP candidates have realised how terribly bad their cases in court are, having failed woefully to prove that they even stood a chance of winning the governorship election, have now resorted to disinformation and mischief while hoping to actualize the impossible mission of stealing the people’s mandate through the back door.
“Finally, Governor Otti wishes to reassure Abians that the mandate unanimously given to him is safe and secure and can never be stolen by those who merchandise politics for personal gains, and that he would continue to serve the people with passion and sincerity.
