No fewer than 5000 staunch supporters of estranged chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Abia, Chief Reagan Ufomba, including his Chief of Staff, Chief Fidelis Ihemere, on Friday defected to the camp of the governorship candidate of the party, Dr. Alex Otti.


Receiving the returnees at a unity rally held at Osisioma, Otti expressed delight that the people have finally realised the truth. He said that he remains the party’s authentic governorship candidate for the upcoming election as recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is the umpire for the election.

He thanked them for their courage and assured them that he would carry everybody along, if voted into office. Otti extended an olive branch to Ufomba, urging him to join hands with him in the current movement to rescue the state from 16 years of misrule, infrastructure deficit and abject poverty.

He regretted that civil servants, medical and health workers as well as local government workers are being owed several months of salaries, while pensioners have not been paid their meager pensions for more than one year.
In his speech, Ihemere said that he and his colleagues decided to join Otti’s camp because of their conviction that he is the party's governorship candidate recognised by INEC.

Ihemere explained that he and other returnees have implicit confidence in Otti’s ability to win the election, adding that Otti also has the wherewithal to transform the state.

He said that aside from the 50 persons present at the rally ground, they have at least 5,000 of their following joining Otti’s camp.