Dr Israel Chibueze Ibeleme, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Israel Ibeleme Foundation IFF, Abuja, has described the victory of the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate, Alex Otti, as a long walk to liberation and freedom for the people of Abia State.
Ibeleme, in a statement he personally signed, congratulated the governor-elect, while saluting Abians for their resilience. He also called on them “to join hands with the incoming administration in the difficult task to set our state on the path of greatness. It is a difficult task however, with the support and understanding of all, Abia shall be great and become a pride of all for all.”
The CEO also decried the situation following the conduct of Saturday’s election in the state, which he said created tension and hit the polity until the electoral body declared Otti as the winner of the race.
He said, “It is no more news that Dr Alex Otti the candidate of Labour Party, LP in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Abia state emerged winner, but what was the news was the avoidable and unnecessary stalemate some unscrupulous elements caused thereby hitting the polity and created tension in the God’s own land for almost 4 days until the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC heed to calls from well-meaning Nigerians and allowed the will of the people prevailed.”
According to him, the absence of leaders with vision, love and “servants-leaders at the helms of affairs” for 24 years has thrown Abia to a pathetic state, adding that the consequence of it has been “adverse effects felts in every nook and crannies of the state with an alarming toll on human capital development, decay infrastructures, deplorable roads etc.”
Continuing, Ibeleme said the situation fueled the anger of the people at the poll, therefore leading to the victory of Alex Otti “whom they believed as the right man to lead the state to a desirable path of growth and development.”
According to him, “Abians can now heave a sigh of relief that at long last, they have been liberated and freed from the clutches of few individuals that held out dear state in bondage and personalized our commonwealth.”
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