The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Wednesday, declared the governorship candidate of Labour Party in Abia State, Alex Otti, as the winner of last Saturday’s governorship poll in the state.
The declaration of the poll results came after days of tension and protests in the state, following suspension of results collation by INEC.
But INEC, on Wednesday, declared that Otti polled 175,5467 votes to defeat his closest rival, Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 88,529 votes.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Nnenna Oti, therefore returned him as the winner.
Following Otti’s victory, his party and supporters went wild with jubilation.
Our correspondent reports that some youths removed off their shirts, waving party’s flag and dancing along the streets of Umuahia the state capital and Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state.
The carnival-like jubilation led to gridlock throughout the metropolis.
Some of the jubilant youthed painted their faces with powder and chalk, while others paraded their cultural masquerades, shouting, “Happy Independence Abia State!”
Otti, in his acceptance speech, said he would not go on a revenge mission when sworn in as Governor of Abia State because he had no bitterness against anyone.
Otti told people of the state that the journey towards taking back their state from years of bad governance had begun.
He said, “This is just the beginning of the journey. I know that there’s a lot of work to be done and we must get all hands on deck to ensure that we take back our state and bring the much sort after dividends of democracy.
“You voted us to serve you and not to be served. You voted us to alleviate your sufferings and not to compound and multiply them. This is a service that comes with unusually high sense of devotion and commitment,” he said.
