Sir Ako Obioma Congratulates Alex Otti On His Assumption Of Office As Abia Governor

Sir Ako Obioma also extended his heart warm congratulatory message to all the elected members of the National and Abia state House of Assemblies, especially Honourable (Sir) Obi Aguocha member-elect for Umuahia/Ikwuano federal constituency, whom he described as "my partner in the struggleÔÇØ.

In his congratulatory message, Sir Ako Obioma said as the stage is set for Dr Alex Chioma Otti to realise his long-time dream to make Abia State better, he prayed that the Almighty God, who has chosen him (Otti) at His own time to govern Abia would bless the new governor with divine wisdom to fulfil his mandate, and bring about the much needed unity and progress the people of Abia have been yearning for.

Above all, Sir Ako Obioma urged Governor Otti to improve and sustain the peace and security his predecessor bequeathed which made Abia one of the most peaceful states in the Southeast region.

The Chairman of Daman Group expressed his unalloyed appreciation to Ndi Abia, especially "my brethren from Umuahia South and North who made the journey much easier with their massive votes that we may achieve a New Dawn in Abia StateÔÇØ.

According to him "Umuahia North and South were regarded as PDP fertile grounds, so this congratulations won't be complete without mentioning the multitude of aggrieved PDP members in Umuahia South and North under my leadership who risked their lives and party membership to accept my call and plea to collaborate with Labour Party in what I called the Peoples Labour Party at that moment our state needed to be rescuedÔÇØ.

"To Commodore Macdonald Ubah (retd) who gave us the needed platform to collaborate with LP to achieve that huge success in Umuahia South, it shall be well with you and all of us. It's my prayer that His Excellency will remember you all when he starts his roll call."

Ako Obioma recalled that during the ensuing crisis to elect the gubernatorial candidate of the Abia APC, he remembered telling his elder brother Hon Acho Obioma that "I align with his choice of Dr Alex Otti considering the situation in Abia then whereby the outgone administration pitched Abia between two divides of Old Aba and Old Bende Divisions.

"So, despite my support for late Professor Uche Ikonne in emerging PDP candidate as my friend of decades, none of the candidates jostling for the governorship in the various political parties could be better placed than Dr Alex Otti.

"My reason was simple, besides Otti's administrative prowess, only Dr Otti has the complete blood of a true Abian to pilot the affairs of Abia at this period of disunity because he belongs to both Ukwa-Ngwa and Old Bende Division."

He said with the choice of Labour Party by aggrieved major APC stakeholders under his brother's negotiation, it was only Dr Alex Otti, who kept the agreement to support that mandate "they gave to my brother to negotiate with Labour Party". Others he said later "abandoned my brother and the new found Labour Party and either returned to join Chief Ikechi Emenike faction or stay at the fence without knowing that there's God's hand in that ChoiceÔÇØ.

"At that time, Dr Otti never knew Labour Party will blossom but as a man of Integrity he refused to abandon my brother in the mandate they sent him. With this, I'm confident that Dr Alex Otti won't abandon his promises to unite and rebuild Abia State.

"With the herald that accompanied His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi entrance into Labour Party and subsequently the demise of Prof Ikonne of blessed memory, it was obvious that there was God's hand in shaping the unity of Abia state using Dr Alex Otti.

"The maladministration and merchandising of governance and PDP in Umuahia North and South which led to the pull out of my PDP faction in Umuahia South and Sir Obi Aguocha faction of Umuahia North to join, and collaborate with Labour Party was the highest human factor that delivered the huge votes and victory for Dr Otti and the legislators-elect, especially in Umuahia South and North LGAs" he added.