Ikpeazu congratulates Otti, warns against frivolous lawsuits

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has urged the governorship candidates of politcal parties in the state not to distract the Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti of the Labour Party, with court cases.

Ikpeazu stated this in a statement issues by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Onyebuchi Ememanka, shortly after INEC declared Otti the winner of the March 18 governorship poll.

He called on the people and political parties in the state to give Otti an enabling environment to run the affairs of the state from May 29.

He said, “Having myself spent about three-and-a-half years in different courts and having experienced first hand, the distraction such cases can cause a leader, I appeal to every candidate in this election not to distract the incoming administration with court cases.”

According to him, this is to enable the new administration to settle down and deal with the very demanding business of governance.

“Let us break this negative trend of subjecting our governors to endless litigations and allow them to concentrate on providing good governance,” the statement added.

The governor commended Otti for his doggedness, adding that “he fought a long battle over a very long period of time and deserves commendation for his resilience”.

Ikpeazu further stated: “Since we have come to the logical end of this battle, it is appropriate to congratulate the winner, Dr Alex Otti, on his hard fought victory.

“In every battle, there will always be a winner and in the spirit of sportsmanship and love for our state, the governor-elect must see his victory as a higher call to service to the people of Abia State.”

Ikpeazu also congratulated other candidates in the election, particularly the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Chief Okey Ahiwe, for their doggedness.

He expressed his resolve to put in place every necessary measure to ensure a seamless transition of power from the present administration to incoming administration.

He thanked the people for their peaceful disposition during the elections, noting that peace remains very critical in the quest for sustainable development,

Ikpeazu charged the people of Abia to give the incoming governor the necessary support that would enable him to succeed.

He prayed God to bless and guide the governor-elect and assured the people that he would continue to discharge his duties as governor until May 29 when he would handover to the governor-elect.