Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Labour Party’s (LP) Alex Otti winner of Abia State 2023 governorship poll.
Otti, a retired bank executive, emerged victorious as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, in the March 18 exercise, according to Nnenna Oti, the commission’s returning officer in the state.
Otti polled 175,467 votes to defeat his closest contender Ahiw, who polled 88,529 when the results were announced in the state capital Umuahia.
Abia and Enugu states’ collation of results were suspended by the electoral body on Monday but resumed on Wednesday.
The result gives the LP its first victory in the 2023 election and the second governorship victory since Olusegun Mimiko used the platform to get elected in Ondo and his victory also ended the 24-year-old PDP monopoly in the state since Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999.
Babaji Usman Babaji is an investigative journalist with over four years of experience, renowned for his impactful reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and holding those in power accountable in Nigeria.
His career is distinguished by participation in numerous media training programs and conferences, which have honed his investigative and reporting skills. Babaji’s data-driven stories have made a significant impact, particularly in Northern Nigeria, shedding light on critical issues and driving meaningful change.
As a reporter under WikkiTimes’ Collaborative Media (CMEDIA) Project, Babaji has led several groundbreaking investigations. He was a 2022 fellow of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and a 2024 Media Foundation for West Africa DPI/DPG fellow. His contributions to accountability journalism earned him a Certificate of Recognition from Xchange Hama Media for impactful community work.
