Otti Fires Back At Detractors, Vows No Return To ‘Egypt’

EBERE UZOUKWA, PhD 

Abia State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has responded to his detractors, insisting that the ongoing transformation of the state is irreversible and that Abia will not return to what he described as “Egypt.”

Otti spoke on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Labour Party State Secretariat in Umuahia, during the reception of the 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Dr. Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye, who formally joined the Labour Party alongside her supporters.

The Governor said his administration would remain focused on doing what is right in the overall interest of the people, despite criticisms and opposition by a few disgruntled and displaced political actors.

He said the development taking place in Abia was the result of deliberate planning and prioritisation, stressing that his administration was only about 39 months into its tenure and could not accomplish everything at once, particularly after what he described as 24 years of poor management.

“This is just about 39 months. Everything cannot be done in one day, particularly in a place that has been badly managed in the last 24 years. It takes a lot of time, resources and planning,” Otti said.

Governor Otti further stated that his administration had initially focused on restoring Aba and Umuahia before extending its interventions to communities in the hinterlands.

“The most important areas for us were to restore Aba and Umuahia. And I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that we have literally restored those cities. We are now moving into the hinterlands, and we will continue until we reach everywhere,” he stated.

He also used the occasion to address questions concerning his political plans after leaving office in 2031, declaring that he would not seek a Senate position or become a political godfather.

The Governor said he would rather retire from politics and allow younger people to take over, adding that his successor would be chosen collectively by Abians.

“So, what I can assure you is that by the time I’m done, the person that will succeed me will be better than me. Once I finish this one, I will retire. I want the young people to take over. We should stop this sit-tight system,” he said.

“I don’t want to be a godfather. We will all sit down, look at everybody, and say who is the best person for this job. And then all of us would agree and we will campaign for him,” Otti added.

Governor Otti, however, maintained that his priority remained the development of the state and improving the welfare of Abians.

Earlier, Johnson-Chukwunenye explained that her decision to join the Labour Party followed her observation of developments in Abia under the Otti administration.

She cited the payment of salary arrears, regular payment of workers’ salaries, attention to pensioners and rehabilitation of roads in Aba and Umuahia among the developments that influenced her decision.

“I saw a State that was once the dustbin of unpaid salaries and 29 months of arrears, now paying salaries on the 28th of every month. I saw pensioners who were left to die, now smiling again because Abia remembers them,” she said.

She also commended the administration’s intervention in road infrastructure, particularly the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Road and other roads, as well as its efforts in sanitation and other areas.

Johnson-Chukwunenye said her decision to support Otti’s second-term bid was motivated by what she described as the need to sustain the developments recorded under the present administration.

The former SDP governorship candidate also brought children from the School for the Blind to the event, an action which Otti commended as evidence of concern for vulnerable members of society.

The event ended with the formal handover of the Labour Party flag to Johnson-Chukwunenye by the party leadership, marking her official reception into the party.

Otti thanked the Labour Party leadership, members and supporters for their commitment to his administration and assured them of his continued focus on the development of Abia State.