The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has debunked the rumour that he was negotiating with the Abia State government for a possible withdrawal of his suit at the Abia State Election Petitions Tribunal.
Otti had gone to the tribunal to challenge the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party, citing widespread irregularities in the election which held on April 11, 2015.
The ex-Diamond bank boss, who issued a statement on Sunday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, said “the mandate freely given to me through the ballot is non-negotiable.”
In the statement entitled, “My governorship mandate non-negotiable,” Otti described the rumour as “blatant falsehood and the wishful thinking of idle political jobbers and rumour peddlers, in their deliberate attempt to cause mischief and deceive unsuspecting members of the public.”
The statement read in part, “To negotiate away the mandate from Abia people, who trooped out en masse and voted for me because of their conviction and belief in my ability to bring about the desired change, will amount to a betrayal of the people’s trust.
“And rather than betray the trust, I am more emboldened and resolute to explore all the legal means possible to reclaim the stolen mandate in order to be able to fulfill my campaign promises to put smiles on people’s faces.”
