I’ll not dump APGA after winning governorship race, says Abia candidate

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has assured the party members that he would not dump it after winning the election.

Otti gave the assurance on Wednesday while addressing members of the state working committee of the party, led by its National Vice-Chairman for the South East, Uchenna Okogbuo, in his Umuru-Umuehim Nvosi home in Isialangwa South.

He said: “I did not join APGA to win election but to come home to my people.

“We will win the election but we will not defect after the victory.”

He advised the party faithful to remain steadfast with it “because we are going to take over the government in the next few months”.

The candidate, who said that he was moved by the prevailing economic hardship in the state to join the race, promised to forfeit his salary if voted into office.

“I will forfeit my salary as governor,” he said, adding that the measure was part of his sacrifice to the state.

Otti said his priority would be to transform the state’s economy through infrastructure and human capacity development.

Otti, who said youths in the state required quality education to be able to compete in the global economy, promised to initiate programmes that would improve the sector.

He said model schools and well-equipped hospitals would be built by his administration in the three senatorial zones of the state.

Otti also said that his administration would pay priority attention to the development of the three major cities of Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state, Umuahia, the state capital, and Ohafia.

He called on the party’s leadership to embark on aggressive mobilisation of the electorate at the grassroots through a door-to-door campaign strategy.

Otti also urged the leadership to reach out to members who were aggrieved with the outcome of the primaries to reconcile them and ensure they returned to the party.

He said that the measure would help to further strengthen the party for the task ahead.

He urged the party members not to succumb to intimidation by any individual, group or party but to remain dogged in their campaign for the victory of the party.

Responding, Okogbuo said that a sensitisation tour of the 17 local government areas would soon commence.

He said that preparations for the state-wide campaign had reached an advanced stage and assured him that the party would be peaceful in its campaigns.