Dr. Alex Otti and Chief Chike Udensi, have emerged candidates of the governorship parallel primaries of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia for the 2019 general elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the candidates emerged in the parallel delegate elections held on Friday in Umuahia.

While Otti’s faction held its primary at the party secretariat located at Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia, that of Udensi was held at Kolping Event Centre, Agbama, also in Umuahia.

Otti, who is the sole aspirant in his faction, was announced winner by Mrs Carol Okoroafor, the Chairman of the election panel, who is the party’s National Welfare Secretary.

She said that Otti scored 574 votes out of the 610 accredited votes, while 36 votes were voided.

NAN reports that Otti was the party’s governorship candidate in the 2015 elections.

In his acceptance speech, entitled, ‘We are much closer than we began,’ Otti thanked the party faithful for reaffirming their trust in him once more by giving him the mandate.

He said: “Nearly four years ago, you had unanimously given me your mandate just like you have done today.

“We all set out on that crusade, which you will all agree, yielded positive results.

“We were victorious in the field and were ready to take our dear state from darkness into the bright light of development and prosperity.

“Unfortunately, the process was truncated by the enemies of progress led by the same evil and egotistic cabal that has held the state down for decades.”

He urged people of Abia not to relent on their unflinching support for him and other party candidates in various offices in the 2019 general elections.

NAN reports that Udensi, on the other hand, was declared winner in the other faction, having scored 532 votes as against Otti’s 57 votes.

According to the result, a total of 616 votes were cast, while 27 votes were voided.

Speaking to journalists, the National Welfare Secretary of APGA, Mrs Carol Okoroafor, said that 19 people collected the governorship form, but only Otti was cleared to contest.

She said that the party did not recognise Udensi’s faction. (NAN)

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