Alex Otti: What You Should Know About Abia State INEC Returning Officer

The highly tense collation of governorship election results in Abia State has finally ended with Labour Party (LP) candidate, Alex Otti, emerging as the winner.

The victory of LP did not only end the 17-year reign of the Peoples Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, but it also makes Alex Otti the first party candidate to be governor in the 2023 election.

However, many Nigerians have applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer in Abia state, Nnenna Nnannayo Oti, for allowing the people’s votes in the election to count.

With the victory of LP in the state, many have described the INEC REC as the hero of democracy for embodying justice and transparency in the election.

Below are 6 things you should know about the returning officer.

1. Nnenna Nnannaya Oti is born on 15 November 1958.

2. She received a Bachelor’s Agric degree, in soil science from the University of Nigeria, graduating with first class.

3. Oti is a three-time head of the department of soil science and technology in the school of agricultural and agriculture technology at the Federal University of Technology Owerri.

4. She is the first female substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri. Nnenna defeated Ikechukwu Dozie on 13 April 2021 and resumed office as the 8th Vice-Chancellor of the institution on 19 June 2021.

5. In 2021, her administration faced criticism for appointing the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami a Professor without following due process.

6. Nnenna is married to Nnannaya Oti and they have three children.