From Steve Oko, Umuahia
The 2019 governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance {APGA} in Abia State, Alex Otti, has accused the party’s National Chairman of the party, Ike Oye, of exhibiting a frustrating greed that has continued to force eminent Igbo sons and daughters out of the ;party
Otti, who regretted what he described as Oye’s greed and bid to perpetuate himself in power, accused him of running the once celebrated political party like a “Ponzi Scheme”, stressing that he actions the reasons eminent Igbo sons and daughters were deserting the party in droves.
He regretted that APGA which was once a home for eminent Igbo politicians and people, due to the ideals of the founder and the late Igbo legendary leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu had become a shadow of its former self due to incompetence of the party’s current leadership.
Otti, in a press statement issued by his media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma in reacting to remarks against him by the Abia State chapter of APGA on the heels of his recent defecation to the All Progressive Congress, APC, urged APGa leadership in Abia state to bear their cross as no amount of blackmail can make him return to the party.
“While we do not consider these very jobless and idle characters laying claim to the leadership of APGA worthy of any serious engagement, we however, deem it proper to put a few facts straight so as to disabuse the minds of unsuspecting members of the public whom the conmen perpetually seek to misinform and mislead. We therefore state as follows:
“That Alex Otti recognizes APGA as a political institution far bigger than the conmen that seek to bury it on the altar of greed and criminal pursuit of materialism, and that as long as the party once had the seal of Odumegwu Ojukwu and the presence of some illustrious citizens, Otti and others who once had something to do with the party will never cast aspersions on the party.
“Alex Otti did not run an election in Imo where party members and prominent aspirants carried out a widely publicized procession around Owerri, calling the APGA leadership a criminal entity, and urging them to return over One Billion naira fraudulently stolen from party members. Some of the aspirants later went to court and EFCC to seek redress.
“It is important to add that, before Otti joined APGA in Abia, the party had two factions, sadly, they neither had state nor LGA party secretariats. It took an Alex Otti to get the party functional at all levels and had been paying the rent for those offices till today.
It also took an Alex Otti and his supporters for the party to secure 11 legislative seats in the state House of Assembly out of 24 and a seat at the House of Representatives. Before then, it is on record that APGA never won even a councillorship seat in the state.
“It was possible because Otti selflessly and generously deployed huge resources which were given to more than 80% of the candidates in the spirit of collectivism. He showed sincerity and commitment, and enjoyed the support of millions of Abia people.
“The bitterness and frustration being exhibited by the conmen against Otti over his decision to leave the party is understandable, because finding a replacement for such a gold fish is a difficult task, especially when his presence affords them the opportunity to enjoy regular stipends from those who desire to hold Abia down. The mourning is understandable, but they should mourn honourably.”
