By Kamsi Anayo
The Governor of Abia State, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost the last governorship election in the state to the Labour Party because of the influence of the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Ob.
The Abia State Governor made the while speaking on Channels Television on Friday.
The Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Alex Otti won the March 18, Gubernatorial gubernatorial election on Abia State.
Otti polled 175467 votes to defeat the Candidate of the PDP Candidate, Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88, 529 votes.
While speaking on why his party lost the election, Ikpeazu said, “That Peter Obi effect, I predicted it and told my party. I even volunteered this same opinion that reasonable politicians should not ignore what Peter Obi was doing.
“The future of the Labour Party depends on how Peter Obi manages his grassroots support he garnered. How is he going to channel this toward an agenda.”
Ikpeazu said that he never regretted being part of the G5 governors that did not campaign for the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, saying it was one of the most brilliant positions he had taken as a politician.
The position of the Abia State Governor contradicted that of the Governor-elect
Dr Alex Otti of the Labour Party who told the same television station that he could have won the election without Peter Obi as he has won a gubernatorial election in the State on 2015.
“In 2015 when I ran under APGA, there was no Peter Obi. And we have it on our record that I won that election. At the time we were joining Labour Party, Peter Obi had not joined. It took about a week before called me and said that he purchased the presidential nomination form and he was coming to Labour Party.” Otti has said
However, he admitted that the Obidient movement may have added to the number of votes that he polled in the election.
