Governor Alex Otti of Abia State dismisses criticisms from opposition parties, stating they seek relevance and negotiation rather than electoral victory

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has stated that he is unfazed by the criticisms and “noise” coming from opposition parties in the state. He asserted that these opposition figures are primarily seeking relevance and negotiation, rather than genuinely contesting elections.

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Governor Otti made this statement while receiving Nnamdi Ibekwe, the member representing Bende North constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Labour Party (LP).

“We are not bothered about the oppositions and their noise. There are different reasons why people show up for elections. Sometimes, they just want recognition; that their names showed up for the primaries, knowing fully well that they will not win the election.

Some of them also come for negotiations and then of course, some others also show up for projections; they look at themselves and say, ‘if I start the noise in 2025, maybe by 2040, they will know that I have been in the race and they will call me and recognize me’, so they are projecting themselves,” Governor Otti explained.

He emphasized that his focus remains on delivering the mandate given to him by the people of Abia State, rather than being distracted by the opposition’s actions.

He congratulated Nnamdi Ibekwe for joining the LP, noting that Ibekwe’s decision was voluntary and not influenced by pressure.

Nnamdi Ibekwe, in his address to the governor, cited Governor Otti’s “unprecedented achievements” as the primary reason for his defection to the Labour Party.