Sixty-two days to May 29 swearing-in day, lobbyists have been inundating the incoming Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Chioma Otti with congratulatory messages.
These messages are normal and expected, given the tough battle Otti fought to cross the final line of victory.
Before now, the LP man contested for the Abia State number one seat in 2015, 2019 and now the victorious 2023.
He lost to Okezie Ikpeazu in 2015, in a race he was believed to be winning by a wide margin until 82,000 votes from Obingwa, Ikpeazu’s LGA shattered the celebration in Otti’s camp.
Again in 2019, he threw his cap into the ring and vied for the governorship seat where he came 3rd.
Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, with Dr Uche Ogah of All Progressives Congress, APC, coming second, while Alex Otti then of APGA came third.
The 2023 game turned in Otti’s favour as he defeated his opponents by a wide margin, buoyed by his resilience for leadership and the Peter Obi wave.
However, lobbyists have started strong but silent campaigns to be noticed for one appointment or the other.
While many politicians are angling for political appointments, others are lobbying for other favours.
Some are die-hard supporters of Otti from his late 2014 foray into politics, while some are fair weather friends.
They have also been openly announcing their readiness to “work with Dr Alex Otti” in development of God’s own State.
A tune-in to about 17 radio stations in Abia since March 22, the day Otti was declared winner, shows that the Labour Party man is now the rave of the airwaves as congratulatory messages to him dominate the commercial desks of the radio stations.
Some of the congratulatory messages are signed by business men, politicians, technocrats, contractors, traditional rulers, youth and women leaders.
A member of LP in Abia State, who spoke on the development, said it was normal for a new man of victory to be getting accolades from admirers.
But the LP man who requested anonymity cautioned Otti to be wise when assembling his team of appointees, to avoid the same mistakes of choosing wrong hands.
He advised that only people with track records must be picked if Abia would be set on the right track of transformation.
“Let him be careful of some of these people congratulating and identifying with him. Some of them only want appointments and contracts; that is all they are eying. They don’t mean well for Abia but are out to cut a slice of cake.
“He must follow his mind by assembling only those that can help him lead Abia to the right position”, said the LP man.
As expected, the Umuihim Nvosi, Isiala South LGA of Abia, the home of Dr Otti has become a Mecca of a sort, as friends, well wishers and politicians now throng his home to pay solidarity and loyalty even as his phones now ring non-stop day and night.
Interestingly, during his acceptance speech at his campaign office after his victory, declared that it was no longer business as usual in running Abia, as only the best materials would be used to transform the God’s own State in line with his campaign promises.
The former CEO of Diamond Bank, who declared that the gate of hell has been broken and Abians set free, promised to work for Abia, while declaring that the days of profligacy were over in the State.
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