A former Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Abia State, Alex Otti, has dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress.
Otti, a former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Diamond Bank, was received formally into the ruling party at his ward, Ward 5, Nguru, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state.
While addressing party members during his declaration, Otti said he did not leave APGA because he could not achieve his political ambition but because he needed a better platform to actualise his dreams for the people of Abia State.
He said he was leaving his former party with over 450, 000 of his followers.
Those who decamped to APC with Otti on Friday include his running mate, Uche Eme Uche; David Ogba Onuoha (Bourdex); Chris Nkwonta; and Mac Donald Uba (retd), among others.
Otti said, “It is pertinent to put on record the fact that through the hard work of our supporters, we were able to make APGA a very formidable party in the state that it won 11, out of the 24 House of Assembly seats and a Federal House of Representatives’ seat after the 2015 election.
“It is on record also that we overwhelmingly won the governorship mandate of the state before PDP invaded the collation centre and brazenly stole the mandate, but we have put the whole incident and many ugly ones behind us.”
Otti had met with Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, a week before his declaration.
He said prior to the 2019 election, some other APC leaders as well as his supporters had wanted him to join APC, but he did not heed their advice at that time.
He stated, “But after long consultations and considerations, we now believe that the time has come to join forces with the APC and henceforth fight on the same side for the emancipation of our state from the choke-hold of the PDP and its cohorts.
“It is now clear to everyone that PDP is like a monster, which has its knees on the throats of Abians.”
