The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State, in the 2015 election, Dr. Alex Otti, has said that he was yet to decide if he would run again in 2019.

But Otti, still brimming with ideas and passion to change the face of Abia, declared that the project embarked upon by his party with the aim of “reclaiming and restoring Abia to Abians” has not ended despite the final outcome of the governorship race and its attendant legal battles.

He assured that APGA in Abia would stand firm as a constructive opposition, adding: “We shall not join the queue of sycophants and hand clappers.”

The Abia APGA leader spoke during a grand civic reception in his honour organised by Umunneato (Isiala Ngwa South, Isiala Ngwa North and Osisioma local governments) caucus of Abia First and APGA.

“Ours is neither a hostile nor a cowardly opposition, but we shall strive under the veritable and rejuvenated platform of our dear party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, to remain honest but firm and fearless in identifying those ills that retard development in Abia while offering ideas and solutions to them from outside the corridors of power,” Otti said while giving an insight into the form of opposition APGA was ready to offer in Abia.

He told thousands of party faithful and supporters who graced the occasion that the Abia project required such “commitment, courage and capacity” as exhibited by the organisers of the event.

As the governorship candidate of APGA in the 2015 general election, Otti ran a robust campaign and led his party to fiercely challenge the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and its flag bearer, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

Though he lost to Ikpeazu at the poll and tribunal, the Appeal Court declared him the actual winner of the poll after determining that Ikpeazu had benefitted from padded votes in some local governments but the Supreme Court upturned that verdict.

However, even with what Otti described as “2015 governorship injustice” APGA still proved that it was formidable by winning a seat in the House of Representatives and nine seats (representing 38 percent) of the 24-member Abia State House of Assembly.

“The heart-warming kudos we get from Abians and non-Abians from within and outside the state for the modest achievements we’ve recorded since we ventured into this project is enough stimulus to keep us going,” he said.

The former bank boss told his teeming supporters that he was overwhelmed by their expression of emotion-filled love, support and solidarity “even in disappointment” thereby proving that the people of Abia were still yearning to liberate their state from maladministration.

“The reason behind such unprecedented support even till this moment is that the people saw and still see the seriousness, sincerity and capacity with which we came to the electioneering process in the state,” he added.

Otti used the opportunity to explain to his supporters the reason he went back to the Supreme Court and asked to be joined in the suit between Governor Ikpeazu and Mr. Uchechukwu Ogah, saying that it was based on the consequential order issued by a Federal High Court Abuja.

According to him, the order given by Justice Okon Abang that someone who did not take part in the 2015 Abia governorship election should be sworn in as Governor was against the provisions of the Electoral Act as amended.

Otti used the occasion held at his country home, Umuru Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area to lambast Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for his inability to address factors retarding Abia’s development.

According to him, Ikpeazu was yet to get his bearing right in the governance of the state, as it was evident that Ikpeazu was still groping in the dark as Abia was still plagued by the ills that retard its development.

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