Otti denies using men in uniform to intimidate Abia people

• Says card-carrying party members should not be electoral officers 

ABIA State All Peoples Grand Alliance(APGA )governorship  candidate and former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank,  Dr Alex Otti  has denied allegation that he uses men dressed in army

 The APGA governorship flag-bearer who had been accused by the Abia  State Information Commissioner Anthony Agbazuere of parading men in military uniform and using them to intimidate the public denied it all and  described the allegation  as  “fabrications of the government as part of its  calculated but futile attempts to cause public disaffection against me.

  Otti who addressed a press conference on the issue said: “They have seen the handwriting on the wall and they know it  means victory for me and my party APGA and defeat for them.

Why should I use men in uniform to intimidate the same people who have overwhelmingly identified with me as their next governor?

It does not make sense and I think the Commissioner and his government are scared.”

 Rather than parade such uniformed men, Otti said that it was he, whose life was threatened on Tuesday night at about 10.58pm when his Umuru Umuehim Nvosi home in Isiala Ngwa South was invaded by 14 men dressed in military uniform .

He wondered why the invasion took place less than 24 hours after the Information Commissioner ‘s allegation.

  He said: “ The invaders forced their way into my compound and proceeded toward my main house. On being accosted by one of the brave Mobile Police men guarding my compound, the leader who identified himself as an Army Captain, said they wanted to see me and to confirm if there were military men in my compound . After some argument, the soldiers left “.

 He appealed to president Goodluck Jonathan , the Inspector General of Police and Chief of Army Staff to call on all and sundry to  maintain order and desist from undemocratic acts that could affect the smooth conduct of the elections in the state.

 To ensure free and fair polls in which loser and winner would accept the results, Otti says card-carrying members of political parties should not be used as electoral officers.

 Otti who said he and his party APGA are for free and fair elections also urged  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)to ensure that card readers are used to identify voters saying that there were allegations that the ruling party was against the use of the cards.

  Otti who was accompanied by his running mate Professor Mrs  Uche Eme-Uche said  he  left the Peoples Democratic Party  for APGA when he saw that  there was no internal democracy in PDP but existed in APGA.

 He also added that he was not happy with the distribution of the PVC in the state and therefore  doubted  the 80% claimed to have been distributed.

 He urged journalists to ensure free and fair elections by frustrating any   wrong being done to mar the coming election. “ I cannot be a party to any act that could truncate or disrupt an election which God has destined that I will win” he said.