Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has dismissed talks about the 2027 governorship election, insisting that his administration will not be distracted from its development agenda.
Speaking on Saturday at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Umuikaa District Headquarters, Isialangwa South Local Government Area, where he worshipped alongside his wife, Priscilla Chidinma, Otti said his priority remains delivering good governance to Abians.
“I am not bothered about 2027. The same God who settled 2023 will also settle 2027,” the governor declared.
He explained that his government would continue to do what is right despite attacks from the opposition, adding that no individual or group has the right to distract his administration.
“When they make noise, we should not be bothered. We should just remain focused and do what we have to do,” Otti said.
The Governor’s remarks come amid a war of words involving himself and three former Governors of the state, Orji Kalu, Theodore Orji, and Okezie Ikpeazu. In recent times, Kalu has openly vowed to stop Otti’s re-election bid in 2027.
Reacting to the political tensions, Otti said he sometimes wonders whether his critics are referring to the 2027 election or another contest entirely, reiterating his confidence in divine guidance.
“The same way God delivered me in 2023 is the way He will deliver me in 2027,” he said.
Last week, the Abia State Government, through the Governor’s Special Adviser on Policies and Interventions, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, cautioned opposition figures against attempting to pitch Governor Otti against President Bola Tinubu.
Anokwuru noted that former Governors whose records remain fresh in the minds of Abians should be prepared to defend their criticisms based on their own achievements rather than “name-dropping” the President or anchoring their arguments on the Federal Government’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
On ongoing infrastructure projects, Governor Otti apologized to residents for the inconvenience caused by dust from road construction works.
He explained that the State had obtained approval from the Federal Government to reconstruct and dualise a federal road, adding that similar works were ongoing from Onuimo to Tower.
“The idea is that any time you get into Abia State, you know you’ve gotten into Abia State,” he said.
During the church service, leaders and members of the Alex Otti Vanguard Movement for Continuity 2027 expressed support for the Governor.
Speaking on their behalf, Dr Fineboy Ikechi Joseph, Elder G.C. Ukaegbu, and Elder E.C. Alozie said Otti’s achievements across the State were sufficient to guarantee him a second term, describing his leadership as a source of renewed hope for Abians.
In his sermon titled “Living With Eternal Perspective,” Masterguide Chidera Mark, who referenced Isaiah 40:28–31, said Governor Otti’s emergence had brought relief and hope to the State, adding that his re-election would sustain the positive changes already underway.
The service ended with prayers for Governor Otti and the Abia State Government.
