About 66 Political heavyweights from different political parties and hundreds of their supporters in Ukwa West LGA have joined Governor Alex Otti’s Labour Party.
Some of the political heavyweights that joined the Labour Party are APGA House of Representatives candidate for Ukwa in the 2023 elections, Hon. Adinigwe Ugochukwu Nwoke, former Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ngozi Ulunwa, former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Ralph Egbu, Hon. Uche Nwaele, Ugoeze Young Ogbonna, Dr. Lucky Ejiogu, among many others.
Receiving the new entrants officially on Friday, August 29th, at Obehie Central School, Ukwa West LGA, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, thanked the new entrants into the party for joining him and encouraged others to join and be part of rebuilding the State.
“I truly, truly welcome our new members and their followers. If there are a few more people who are still doubting, please let them know that they need to board the train before it leaves the station,” Gov. Otti stated.
The State Chief Executive said that the major interest of his government is to restore the dignity of the Abia person. “The major contribution that this Government has set out to make and the impact that it has set out to make is to restore the dignity of the Abia person.
“And that is why when you see us building roads, when you see us building schools and renovating them, primary health care centres, general hospitals, specialist hospitals, medical city, it is all geared towards the restoration of the dignity of the man or woman that comes from Abia,” Gov. Otti stated.
The Governor announced that his government would build a mini stadium as requested by the Mayor of Ukwa West, and directed the Mayor to resurvey the location of the mini stadium and fence it.
He also admonished the immediate host community of Inner Galaxy company to allow the company to locate the skills acquisition centre it wants to build at its location of choice – Obehie, adding that there is no need for the disagreements over the location of the centre.
Reading the welcome address, the Mayor of Ukwa West LGA, Pastor Dike Briggs Nwankwo, thanked the Governor for what he is doing in Asa land. He specifically appreciated the Governor for the AIIP project, the Civic Centre completed and commissioned for use by the Asa people, the 13 Primary Healthcare Centres renovated and upgraded across Ukwa West LGA, and the completed and ongoing road projects. As Oliver Twist, the people’s Mayor, appealed for more from the Governor, especially a mini stadium.
Speaking, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, while extolling the performance of Governor Alex Otti, assured that the whole of Ukwa West would sustain their support for him even in 2027.
Also, the General Manager, ASOPADEC, Venerable Joshua Onyeike, described the event as a gathering that’s happening at the right time.
“It’s a good thing that is happening. The Labour Party is good for us, and Dr. Alex Otti is also good for us. If there is anything bigwigs from Asa should do, it is to align with us, align with Dr. Otti, align with the Labour Party, align with the good things that are happening in Ukwa land.
“We have jointly made a difference. It is now clear that this is a party that has something good for the Ukwa people. For over 24 years, the other parties held sway, we saw total decay, and now you can see that life is coming back to this part of the State, Venerable Onyeike stated.
Welcoming the new entrants, the acting State Party Chairman, Sir Nwaeze Oti, said that the significance of the ceremony is anchored on the fact that Governor Otti is performing.
He attributed the performance of the Governor to the visit he made to all nooks and crannies of the State, during the campaigns, where he identified challenges of the State which he is now tackling.
In their various speeches, some new entrants into the Labour Party, including APGA House of Representatives candidate for Ukwa in the 2023 elections, Adinigwe Ugochukwu Nwoke, former SSG, Chief Ralph Egbu, Pastor Chimezie Nwarie, Dr. Lucky Ejiogu, among others, expressed their willingness to work for the reelection of Governor Alex Otti. They moved a motion to adopt Governor Otti as the consensus candidate of Asa land in the 2027 Abia Gubernatorial Election with a thunderous YES from the mammoth crowd.
They particularly noted that Dr. Otti did not win in Ukwa West in 2023 but assured that, with them in the Labour Party, Governor Otti has become their consensus candidate and would have nobody to contend with in 2027.
The event, which featured the handing over of LP flags to the entrants, also attracted many dignitaries, including the former Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, SSG, Professor Kenneth Kalu, Honourable Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, Special Advisers and Assistants to the Governor, Mayors of LGAs, among others.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
29 – 08 – 2025.
