BY CHIDI UGOCHUKWU
At this point, even cub politicians in Abia State are already aware of the game the incumbent Governor of the State, Dr Alex Otti is playing. All in a bid to eat his cake and still have it. He appeared confused to many unsuspecting Abians but truly, he has entered into collaboration with leadership of African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The Governor who was elected on the platform of Labour Party, having realized that the person he rode on his back to get elected, His Excellency Peter Obi has since moved to ADC and perhaps, with obvious fact that the popularity of the former Anambra Governor has dwindled unlike in 2023.
Otti is now desperately in need of another back to ride on ahead of Governorship election in Abia State, hence, he his striving to assure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of his support while also having unholy alliances with the likes of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and even Peter Obi.
Governor Otti has been accused of giving conflicting assurances of loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, while allegedly maintaining a stronger political alignment with the former Minister of Transportation.
According to information across Abia, the governor presents himself publicly as neutral and supportive of the current federal administration, but privately works against its political interests. This posture has been described as misleading, act of desperation and harmful.
We have it on good source that Otti has held secret meetings with ADC leaders and he has assured them of his support, a similar stance he already took with President Tinubu.
The leadership of APC had earlier given him a leeway to his reelection bid, but due to his double-faced moves, we learnt the leadership of APC has now rejected him totally. He his now been labeled as a ‘One-Term’ Governor by the major opposition party in the State.
Also it has been alleged that Governor Otti’s electoral success in 2023 was supported financially by Rotimi Amaechi, adding that state resources are now being used to repay political obligations tied to that support thus, many have concluded that, his reason not to officially port to APC is because of Amaechi.
A scenario of if Amaechi secured either the Presidential or Vice presidential ticket in ADC has been painted. Will Otti still assured President Tinubu of his support if such situation arises?
However, the coming together of three former Governors of Abia State, Senators Orji Uzor Kalu, 1999-2007, T. A. Orji, (Ochendo), 2007-2015, and Ambassador Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, 2015-2023, many have said will mark the end of Otti as Abia Governor. The team led by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, we gathered, came together and formed what is known in Abia State as OUR TEAM or with the nomenclature OUR TEAM 2027.
The team has vowed to send Governor Otti away from Governor’s Office accusing him of his intolerance leadership style. They said Otti appears overly sensitive to dissent and warned that such an attitude does not align with democratic leadership.
Meanwhile, it is now obvious that what will cost Otti his second term ticket will be his lack of transparency and political honesty with his continued ambiguity in political loyalty, a posture that has weakened the governor’s credibility, isolate him politically.
Chidi Ugochukwu writes from Isiala-Mbano, Abia State
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Rubbish talk. Otti will win hands down, no matter the party he contests on its ticket. The people are voting for Otti, not necessarily the party platform. Any party that those former governors that recked Abia State for 24 years are fronting will not only be an irritant and anathema to the Abia people, but will surely be disgraced, and very humiliatingly, to happily pay them back in their own coins. What an opportunity it will be for such a payback. Abians have just been looking for or waiting for an opportunity like this to show or express their pain and disgust with these Abia Past Destroyers or this their current dead-on-arrival "OUR TEAM".