Day Alex Otti Pulled Longest Convoy In Abia History

The Victory of Alex Otti of the Labour Party in the recently concluded gubernatorial election of Abia State sparked massive celebration throughout the state.

Public celebration erupted even before the result was called by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday, after the new broke that the final result would favour their preferred candidate.

Otti was declared winner after securing 175,460 votes over the 88,529 votes secured by his closest rival, Okechukwu Ahaiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Before the declaration, INEC had suspended the collation of the disputed Obingwa LGA result for it to be audited in Abuja, which was resolved to pave the way for Otti’s victory.

The disputed result of Obingwa gave the PDP over 100,000 votes.

But after the audit in Abuja, the results showed otherwise.

The returning officer for Obingwa said the LGA had only 27,661 accredited voters.

PDP scored 9,962 votes, while the LP received 3,776 votes. The total valid votes were 20,000.

Otti, alongside some stakeholders, travelled to Abuja on Tuesday over the inflated Obingwa result.

THE WHISTLER observed that when Otti landed at the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, Imo States on Wednesday afternoon from Abuja ahead of the result announcement in Umuahia, his supporters had flooded the airport.

Otti and his entourage drove triumphantly into Umuahia from Owerri.
Many residents left their works to join Otti’s convoy as some say “it is the longest convoy in the state’s history. “

The convoy which had more than 70 cars drove straight to the LP office leading to traffic in major roads connecting the area.

The LP campaign office is located opposite the Abia State Government House and a crowd of supporters were chanting ‘freedom from the PDP’.

Before the announcement of the result by 4pm, civil servants, including those in the Government House in Umuahia, rushed out to watch people celebrating in advance.

Some of the civil servants were cautiously nodding their heads in excitement to chants by ecstatic residents.

Chants of “We are free from PDP bondage,” ” Free from non payment of salaries,” and so on rented the air.

They also danced to a popular cultural dance, the ‘Abam/ Ohafia War Dance,’ a tradition that depicts bravery.

A young girl at Bank Road in Umuahia who joined others to celebrate Otti’s win screamed, “thank God my vote counted.”

When the state returning officer, Oti announced the LP candidate as governor- elect, THE WHISTLER witnessed a prominent member of the state government popped a 1988 labeled wine.

Some riders of tricycles popularly called ‘Keke’ offered free lifts to passengers in Umuahia.

In Aba, the state’s economic city, people trooped out chanting anti-PDP songs at the Ngwa Road area.

Some carried caskets with PDP inscription around the street of Aba.

People were also spotted on the streets on their knees thanking God for ‘freedom.’

Some youths stripped half naked on the streets of Aba in joyous celebration.

A newly elected Abia House of Assembly member for Arochukwu State Constituency, Okoro Uchenna Kalu, took the celebration to a different level with a thank-you party for supporters and well wishers who came from different villages in Abam, Arochukwu LGA.