Traders in Aba have described Governor Alex Otti’s victory at the Supreme Court on Friday as a victory for the people of Abia and democracy in Nigeria at large.
Some of the traders who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday said that the Nigerian Judiciary has restored the trust of the masses.
NAN reports that the candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ikechi Emenike, have been challenging Gov. Otti’s victory at the 2023 gubernatorial election.
The court dismissed their appeals, questioning the emergency of Gov. Otti as the Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate and other things.
Ikechukwu Njoku, a printer, expressed happiness over the Supreme Court Judgement and noted that such has been the Aba residents’ prayers.
“Today we are rejoicing that the battle is over and we are happy that the Jubilee road which had been an eye sore, Queens and Hospital roads are now motorable.
“Otti is a candidate that we know can change the Narrative of Aba and that was why we voted him massively.
“Before now, Aba was a rejected area but now we are enjoying it, my plea is that the governor should put an end to the Illegal tax collection by unknown persons in Aba for security reasons,” Okoro said.
Victor Adindu, who is a sprinter, said that Otti was God sent to liberate Aba and that the state has not had good governance after Chief Sam Mbakwe of the then Imo State.
“I know that Otti will do well because he has started work on the major roads but he still has to do more work on some other important roads in the city,” Adindu said.
The government needed to repair the road that leads to Obigbo Aba main and the Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom road as that will help to improve business in the city.
“A battery seller, Uche Maduako, believed that Otti has a positive mission to accomplish in the state, describing the governor as an industrialist.
“Aba is known as the Japan of Africa but the inefficiency we are facing at the moment is bad road network, electricity and security.
“If the government can arrest these challenges, Aba will grow to the people’s expectations,” Maduako said.