Abia State Governor-elect, while reacting to his declaration as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in state, declared that the siege is over in the state.
Otti, who contested on the platform of the Labour Party, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission {INEC} on Wednesday evening after controversies that trailed the results from Obingwa Local Government Area of the state was resolved.
Otti said in his acceptance speech shortly after his declaration: “With deep humility and a profound sense of responsibility, I wholeheartedly accept your mandate to be your chief servant for the next four years. Before I go on, I must first dedicate the victory to God the Father, the Almighty who makes everything beautiful in his own time.
“I also dedicate it to the millions of Abia citizens who have been the unfortunate victims of bad governance this past decade. As I acknowledge this victory, I am fully conscious of the huge expectations of millions of the good people of Abia State, who have been denied the dividends of democracy and good governance for such a long time.
“I want to sincerely thank every Abian and non-indigenes alike who participated in this election. As you are all aware, this was my third attempt at contesting for this office in my quest to implement my long-held vision of rebuilding Abia State as truly God’s own state. This third time, it pleased God to give us victory.
“In the words of one Labour Party stalwart, the siege is over. With your votes and the collective will of the people, we have broken the gates of hell and …as recorded in the holy book, the kingdom of hell shall not prevail against us.
“I will like to quickly compliment my colleagues in the just concluded elections and this would include Chief Okechukwu Ahiwe, Engr Enyinnaya Nwafor, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, Professor Gregory Ibe and the host of other equally qualified governorship candidates. It has been a hard-fought contest, and each of you gave his or her best in the quest to serve our beloved state.
“There is no doubt that all of us have very robust ideas as to how to move our dear state forward. I want to assure you that your ideas and dreams that are consistent with building a virile Abia State shall come to fruition under my watch.
“I, therefore, invite all of you to join hands with our administration in order to serve Abians, who have been victims of several years of maladministration and state capture. I have no doubt that you will be available to use the same energy and intellect to help rebuild our state and develop our people.
“Indeed, I see this victory as a call to service even as I come out of a bruising and long-run campaign, I know that this is just the beginning of the journey. There is a lot of work to be done and we must get all hands on deck to ensure that we take back out state and bring the much sought-after dividends of democracy.”
