The Abia State Government has cautioned opposition politicians, particularly senior members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), against attempts to create a false conflict between Governor Alex Otti and President Bola Tinubu for political gain.
Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, Special Adviser to the Governor on Policies and Interventions, issued the warning on Sunday. He alleged that three former governors, now in the APC, were plotting to unseat Otti and weaken the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the opposition’s reliance on President Tinubu’s name to attack the Otti administration amounted to “forced enmity” and deliberate misrepresentation. “When former governors and past political office holders, whose records are still fresh in the collective memory of Abians, congregate to challenge the leadership of Dr Alex Otti, the public is entitled to interrogate not just their claims, but also their credibility,” Anokwuru said.
He criticised the opposition’s strategy of anchoring its attacks on the federal government’s “Renewed Hope” agenda rather than presenting verifiable facts or alternative policy ideas. “Everything about your supposed criticism against Dr Alex Otti’s administration is resting on ‘Renewed Hope’. It is expected that an opposition made up of former governors should build arguments based on their own achievements, not by name-dropping President Bola Tinubu,” he added.
Anokwuru stressed that attempts to pit Otti against Tinubu would fail, noting: “Stop forcing enmity between Alex Otti and President Bola Tinubu; it cannot work because their friendship is beyond politics.”
He further argued that opposition loses moral authority when driven by vendetta rather than constructive criticism. “Federal proximity cannot substitute for local legitimacy, nor can it erase the lived experiences of the people under previous administrations,” he said.
Dismissing claims that Tinubu backs the opposition, Anokwuru insisted the President has consistently shown goodwill toward Otti. “The irony is that President Bola Tinubu has not shown support for whatever propaganda these relevance seekers are pushing. The president knows that Dr Alex Otti is one of the best-performing governors in Nigeria and has continually shown support for his administration,” he stated.
Concluding, he warned that invoking Tinubu’s name would not shield the opposition from public scrutiny: “Tinubu is not backing you; you are backing yourself with Tinubu. This approach does not strengthen democracy; it weakens public trust.”
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