The stormy petrel of Abia State politics and member of Board of Trustees, BoT, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Benjamin Apugo, has solicited support for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party,  LP, Mr Peter Obi, saying that his integrity, competence and proven track record of achievements have put him ahead of other contenders  for the seat.
Apugo, who addressed reporters on Sunday at his Ibeku Umuahia country home, also solicited support for the LP governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, saying he has the capacity to rebuild the state.
The APC BoT member denied media reports that he had endorsed  his party's governorship candidate, Chief Ikechi Emenike, dismissing such reports as misleading.
Apugo, noted that he had never given his blessings to the governorship aspirations of Emenike, warning against any attempt to use him for political glory.
He, further accused the APC-led Federal Government of neglecting Abia State, saying there was no federal presence in the state.
” APC has not done anything for Umuahia and Abia State where I come from or Ndigbo in general,” he added, and urged voters to vote based on the competence and integrity of candidates and not for the party logo in the forthcoming polls.
Apugo took a clean sweep of the Igbo political elite making uncomplimentary remarks against Obi, describing them as myopic and self-centred saboteurs.
He further urged Igbo voters not to be discouraged because of the unpatriotic activities of such elements who he said could rarely visit their communities, noting that Obi’s presidential ambition and candidature had brought respect and honour to the Igbo race.
He recalled that this would be the first time Nigerians from different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds would be rallying behind a presidential candidate of South East extraction.
He then, asked Ndigbo both home and abroad to come out en mass and vote for credible candidates of their choice in the forthcoming elections, pointing out that 
 those hoping to rig the polls would have to think of something else, insisting that the era of manipulating election results was gone for good.
According to Apugo, the forthcoming polls would give birth to a new Nigeria where merit and competence would count.