Alex Chioma Linus Otti | |
---|---|
Governor of Abia State | |
Assumed office 29 May 2023 | |
Deputy | Ikechukwu Emetu |
Preceded by | Okezie Ikpeazu |
Personal details | |
Born | Abia State,Nigeria | 18 February 1965
Political party | Labour Party |
Spouse | Priscilla Otti |
Alma mater | University of Lagos |
Occupation | Politician,Banker,Economist. Former MD and CEO,Diamond Bank,Present Governor of Abia state. |
Website | www.alexotti.com |
Alex Otti (born 18 February 1965) is a Nigerian economist,banker,investor,philanthropist,and politician,serving as the current Governor of Abia State in Nigeria. He is from Isiala-ngwa. Otti is the former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc,a retail financial institution in Nigeria. Otti was a gubernatorial candidate of Abia State on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). [1] On 31 December 2015,The Court of Appeal which sat in Owerri removed Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party as governor of Abia State and declared Otti the winner of the April 11 and April 25 Governorship elections in the state. On February 3,2016,the Supreme Court of Nigeria reversed the verdict of the Court of Appea l and affirmed the election of Ikpeazu as Governor. Otti is a member of the editorial board of Thisday ,and writes a fortnightly column,every other Monday,titled "Outside The Box".
Otti continued his political aspiration and joined the Labour Party in May 2022 after leaving the All Progressive Congress. Upon joining the labour party,he contested for the post of the party flag bearer and was declared unopposed for the governorship election in 2022. [2] [3]
At the end of the 2023 general elections,he defeated his conterpart in the PDP and emerged as the governor of Abia State under the keenly contested governorship election as a Labour Party member. [4]
He defeated his closest rival Okey Ahiwe who contested under the Peoples Democractic Party after the results were declared Prof. Nnenna Oti,the returning officer for the Independent National Electoral Commission. [5]
Otti was born to the family of the late Pastor and Mrs. Lazarus Weze Otti at Umuru,Umuehim village in Ehi Na Uguru Ancient Kingdom,Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia State. He had his secondary school education at Ngwa High School,Aba and Secondary Technical School,Okpuala Ngwa in Abia State,where he finished as the best student in his set during the school certificate examinations. He thereafter proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt for his university education,where he graduated with a First Class honors degree in economics in 1988. [6]
Otti earned an MBA degree from the University of Lagos in 1994. [7] He has attended various international courses including the Executive Development Programmes of the Columbia Business and Stanford Business School and Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania). [8] He also did an executive programme at INSEAD,Fontainebleau,France. [9]
In 2009 he was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by Babcock University and in 2012,an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) Degree by the University of Port Harcourt. [10] [11] In 2013,he received another honorary doctorate degree from the University of Nigeria,Nsukka. [12]
Otti began his banking career in 1989 with the Nigerian International Bank,a subsidiary of Citibank New York,where he worked in the operations department. Thereafter he moved to the then Nigerian Intercontinental Merchant Bank Ltd. While at Intercontinental Bank,he worked both in the treasury and financial services unit as well as the corporate banking division. In 1992,he joined Societe Bancaire Nigeria Limited (Merchant Bankers),a subsidiary of Banque SBA Paris where he rose to the position of a senior manager. He moved on to the United Bank for Africa (UBA) [13] as the principal manager overseeing the bank’s corporate banking sector for the entire South Division with the responsibility of growing the oil and gas business for the bank. In May 2001,he joined First Bank of Nigeria,PLC as assistant general manager in with the sole responsibility of growing the Energy Sector for the bank. In April 2004,he was promoted to the position of deputy general manager,and a year later was appointed executive director,commercial banking. This was followed by a re-designation as the executive director south directorate,where he was responsible for over 140 branches in both the South-South and South Eastern geopolitical zones of the country. In March 2011,he moved from First Bank Nigeria PLC to Diamond Bank as group managing director/ chief executive officer and has led the bank through a major transformation. [14] Upon expiration of his first tenure,Diamond Bank renewed his tenure in March 2014 to an additional three years. [15]
On October 24,2014,Otti took voluntary retirement and Uzoma Dozie became the new GMD and Bank CEO. [16]
Otti is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is married to Priscilla Otti and they have three children. [17] [18]
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The governor of Abia State is the head of government of Abia State in Nigeria. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the Abia State Government. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Abia State House of Assembly,to convene the legislature and grant pardons.
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Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is a Nigerian politician and former Governor of Abia State,who was in office from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He was re-elected as the Governor of Abia state at the 9 March 2019 gubernatorial election. He ran for election at the 2023 Senatorial election for Abia South Senatorial District but came a distant third behind incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of All Progressive Grand Alliance and a political newbie Chinedu Onyeizu of the Labour Party.
Uzoma Dozie is a banker,tech investor and financial inclusion advocate. He is the CEO and Founder of Sparkle,a financial technology community and 'ecosystem'. Before launching Sparkle in 2019,he was the GMD and Bank CEO of Diamond Bank from 2014 and successfully implemented a merger with Access Bank Plc in 2018. While at Diamond Bank,Uzoma also served as Executive Director of Corporate Banking and Executive Director of Regional Business Lagos &West Regions.
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The Abia State gubernatorial election,2015 was the fifth gubernatorial election of Abia State. Held on April 25,2015,the People's Democratic Party nominee Okezie Ikpeazu won the election,defeating Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
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The 2019 Abia State gubernatorial election occurred on March 9,2019. Incumbent PDP Governor Okezie Ikpeazu won re-election for a second term,defeating APC's Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah,and several minor party candidates. The major contenders for the race signed a peace accord agreement in January 2019.
The 2015 Imo State gubernatorial election was the 8th gubernatorial election of Imo State. Held on April 11,2015 and April 25,2015 due to inconclusive,the All Progressives Congress nominee Rochas Okorocha won the election,defeating Emeka Ihedioha of the People's Democratic Party.
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The 2019 Nigerian House of Representatives elections in Abia State was held on February 23,2019,to elect members of the House of Representatives to represent Abia State,Nigeria.
The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Abia State will be held on 25 February 2023,to elect the 3 federal Senators from Abia State,one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election,as well as other elections to the Senate,and elections to the House of Representatives;with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.
The 2023 Nigerian presidential election in Abia State will be held on 25 February 2023 as part of the nationwide 2023 Nigerian presidential election to elect the president and vice president of Nigeria. Other federal elections,including elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate,will also be held on the same date while state elections will be held two weeks afterward on 11 March.
The 2023 Nigerian House of Representatives elections in Abia State was held on 25 February 2023,to elect the 3 House of Representatives members from Abia State,one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives and elections to the Senate;with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.
Abia State elections in 2023 will be on 25 February,11 March,and 28 April 2023. As a part of the nationwide election,the state will vote for President and Vice President on 25 February. Additionally,there will also be elections on the same day for the Senate and the House of Representatives. On 11 March,the election for Governor of Abia State will be held alongside elections to the state House of Assembly. Local government elections are scheduled for 28 April.