By Foster Obi
The biggest and cheering news for Abia State is that reputed banker and first class Economist, Dr Alex Otti and the rave of the moment in Nigerian politics, Mr Peter Obi has joined Labour Party to liberate the people.
These two people have similar traits because they are selfless, people oriented and have a relentless desire to make difference.
Analysts believe that now the two have joined forces, Abia State will be finally liberated from the forces of backwardness and corruption.
Many Abians are happy with this move because this is the first time that sanity is about to return to governance in the state.
Before now, Labour Party is not well known in the state. It hardly made any impact. Now Labour has become the Party to beat.
Knowing that Labour Party is people centred, the move by Dr Alex Otti is considered a masterstroke and there seem to be a mass movement signalling that this is the Party of the moment not just in Abia but all over the federation.
But what is driving Dr Otti and what has he got to offer the people? To understand this, let us take a look at his declaration speech during the last Easter.
“I, therefore, stand before you on this holy day to declare my interest, once again, to serve you as Governor of this state from 29th May, 2023.
“Majority of you already know the story of this struggle. It’s the story of a struggle motivated by sacrifice and sustained by tenacity. It’s a struggle inspired by conviction and advanced by courage. The problems which informed my decision to respond to the call of our people in 2014 for their liberation has now taken a new and a frightening dimension – complete breakdown of infrastructure, increase in inequality, non payment of wages of workers, high rate of unemployment, weak economy, corruption, abject poverty and poor healthcare and educational facilities.
“Now, we cannot blame historic forces beyond our control for these challenges, but the wrong leadership choices we had made as a state, elder statesmen and citizens.”
“Abia’s unemployment rate is now at 51 percent above the national average of 33 percent,” he said among other things.
Dr Otti reminded the people that “Venturing into the murky waters of Abia politics from such professional background was not an alluring adventure for the faint hearted, so the struggle was ab initio not motivated by the quest for affluence, luxury or comfort, but by an altruistic desire to audaciously dare and defeat the albatross of leadership ignominy that had suffocated the economic development of our dear state for a very long time, and made us a laughing stock in the comity of states.”
A man recently wrote, “It’s not yet 2023 elections and there is already an uproar showing that by leaving the big parties to venture to the unknown just to liberate the people, Dr Alex Otti and Peter Obi are not normal people.
“Do you know what it means to leave a political party that has a signature in the nation, abandon all political parties with foundation, to join a small party that many of us are just hearing the name for the first time, Believe me, Dr Alex Otti and Peter Obi are not normal, fear them because their spiritual back up is large.”
This is the feeling many people have now which has ignited serious movement to ensure that these two people are voted in power come 2023 against all odds.
Feelers show that Abians are not taking this opportunity lightly knowing that a combination of Peter Obi and Dr Alex Otti will liberate the state from the vice grip of oppression and poverty.
There is no need to recount what Peter Obi did with Anambra state, why everyone is rooting for him and why he can never be associated with failure.
For Abia, this is a win win moment that cannot be thrown away by the deception of sweet talking politicians or vote buying rogues masquerading as wolves in sheep clothing.
Picture: Dr Alex Otti
