It is a long-established principle in both law and public life that anyone who demands equity must come with clean hands. This principle is particularly relevant in the current political climate in Abia state. When former executive governors and past political office holders, whose administrations are still fresh in the collective memory of the people, congregate to challenge the leadership of His Excellency Dr Alex Otti, the public is entitled to interrogate not just their claims, but also their credibility. Abia opposition, why are you relying on the might of President Tinubu. Everything about your supposed criticism against Dr. Alex Otti’s administration is rested on “Renewed Hope.” It is expected that an opposition made up of past governors and political office holders should build their argument against a sitting government based on their own achievements in the past, rather than relying on name-dropping of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Renewed Hope.
Opposition in a democratic system is essential. It serves as a check on power, sharpens governance, and protects public interest. However, opposition loses its moral force when it is driven by selfishness and bitterness rather than facts, and by personal resentment rather than policy-based critique.
The recent posture adopted by sections of the Abia opposition appears less like constructive engagement and more like a coalition motivated by animosity and political survival and relevance.More concerning is the heavy reliance on the perceived might of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the backbone of the opposition.
Opposition politics should be built on ideas, track records, and alternative visions, not on borrowed federal influence. When individuals who should speak from the strength of their own achievement instead lean on external executive power, it signals an absence of substance.
Federal proximity cannot substitute for local legitimacy, nor can it erase the lived experiences of the people under previous administrations. The irony of this all is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not shown support for whatever propaganda these relevance seekers are pushing for the fact that the president is aware that Dr. Alex Otti is one of the best performing governors in Nigeria, if not the best, and he has continually shown support to Dr. Alex Otti’s administration. In the light of the opposition’s recent showing, it is necessary to let them know this: “Tinubu is not backing you; you are backing yourself with Tinubu. Hence, you are on your own!”The people of Abia state are not detached observers. They are witnesses to governance outcomes, both past and present. Any serious opposition must engage with this reality. Unfortunately, rather than grounding their criticism in verifiable facts or offering constructive alternatives, the oppositions appear to be chasing shadows and making sweeping accusations without evidence.
This approach does not strengthen democracy; it weakens public trust. If the opposition are genuinely concerned about the interest of Abia state and its people, they should begin by examining the reactions and comments of Abians to their publications attacking Dr. Alex Otti’s achievements, both on blogs and on their personal social media platforms.Constructive opposition is not about undermining government for its own sake. It is about pointing out gaps, proposing solutions, and holding leadership accountable in a manner that ultimately benefits the state. When opposition shifts from principled criticism to deliberate misinformation, it ceases to be a democratic asset and becomes a personal vendetta.
Abia state deserves an opposition that is intellectually honest, fact driven and rooted in the welfare of the people. Anything short of that is not opposition in the true sense, but a reactionary alliance struggling to remain relevant in the face of changing political realities.The Anger of the OppositionI am sure that the anger of the opposition, especially those who have occupied political offices in Abia in the past, is based on the fact that they are unable to recognise the state of the infrastructure they left in dilapidation. The wholistic change to the face of state-owned structures like the ongoing governor’s house, the JAAC building, the office of the SSG, the Michael Okpara auditorium, the International Conference Centre, the Commissioner’s Lodge, and the entire new face of Abia is enough to expose the incompetence of the past administration, and has been easily misrepresented as a personal attack by the opposition.
My Advice to Opposition in Abia, No kingdom lasts forever. All kingdoms crumble. All powers fade. Today’s throne is tomorrow’s ruin. Your time is completely gone in Abia. It is wisdom and humility to identify when power has left you.Know that there is a new sheriff in town, and he is Dr. Alex Chioma Otti. All authority comes from God. Dr Alex Chioma Otti is a gift from God to Ndi Abia. We are all witnesses to what happened in Abia in 2023. That was purely the handwork of God. As long as God is with Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, your gatherings will always be in vain.Even the blind can feel the transformative effect of Dr. Alex Otti in Abia. Only the wicked can call evil good and good evil. Refrain from your politics of vendetta and seek for the good of Ndi Abia. Stop forcing enmity between Dr. Alex Otti and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; it cannot work because their friendship is beyond politics.
For those who see and claim not to see, and for those who know and claim not to know, be informed that: Abia Health system and administration is the best in Nigeria.
Our primary healthcare which is the foundation of healthcare ranks the best in the federation with civil servants all enrolled into the State Health Insurance Scheme. educational system is systematically transformed with new teachers employed and dilapidated school structures rebuilt and many undergoing refurbishment.
Abia is now a construction site, with Aba and Umuahia transformed from a glorified village into an emerging city with night life returned. with the ease of doing business policy, Abia is now an investment destination for investors. Of course, C of O is obtainable within 30 days. Abia transport sector is taking the lead in the country with our leadership popularising electric powered public transport vehicles. Conditions of service are improved with the state of art offices and furniture. Of course, salaries are paid as at when due.
Other Issues people who congregate to attack Dr Alex Otti were colleagues to such governors like Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos state, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state, Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, David Umahi of Ebonyi State. These were governors that performed creditably well to position their state better that other successive administrations today are building on to improve. Any attempt to frame arguments around juxtaposing the Abia administration under Dr. Alex Otti with that of Dr. Mbah in Enugu is analytically unsound.
The two administrations operate within fundamentally different historical and structural contexts. Dr. Alex Otti’s government is engaged in rebuilding and institutional reorientation after years of systemic decline, making its focus necessarily foundational. Evaluations that ignore this context and reduce governance to superficial parallels distort reality and contribute little to serious public discourse. The numerous national and international awards for good governance won by Alex Otti is a testament to this.Finally, anyone saying that it is the turn of Abia North to produce 2027 governor in Abia State is trying to overheat the polity and being unreasonably political. This is a slight on the people of Abia Central where Dr. Alex Otti comes from. And of course, Abians are no longer interested in who comes from where; Abians are interested in performance and character, which Dr. Alex Otti has shown.
