Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has urged voters to reject financial and material inducements from politicians, warning that exchanging their votes for temporary benefits could jeopardise the state’s future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Otti said the electorate must look beyond immediate personal gains and consider the long-term consequences of their political choices, particularly as politicians intensify efforts to win public support ahead of the polls.
The Governor spoke on Sunday through his Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, at the second session of the seventh Synod of the Anglican Communion, Diocese of Aba Ngwa North, held at All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Abayi, Umuocham, Aba.
The synod was held on the theme, “Don’t Just Absorb It; Think It Through”,drawn from Acts 17:11–12.
Governor Otti warned that politicians he accused of contributing to the state’s past decline were seeking to regain the confidence of voters, urging Abians not to allow material gifts to influence their judgement.
“The people that created a problem that God now had to answer your prayer to send someone after His own heart.
“They are all over again. But the Bible says surely they shall proceed no further. Please, let us be careful.
“When God opens a door, may we not close it. Don’t use the ₦5,000, the ₦10,000, the wrapper or the rice they will give you and close the destiny of Abians for the next four years. Even prayer and fasting will not open it,” he said.
“May we not lose what God has given to us on the platter of gold”, the Governor said.
He also urged Christians to be discerning as political activities gathers momentum, cautioning them against being swayed by politicians who suddenly become attentive to the church and its members as elections approach.
Governor Otti observed that some politicians who previously ignored church activities and failed to respond to calls from their constituents had begun making renewed efforts to establish contact, describing the development as a reason for caution.
“Like we have been told, the season is here again, and politicians are everywhere. The Bible says we are not ignorant of the devices of the enemy.
“Many of them who have not been coming to church have started coming to church. Many of them who have not been accepting or taking your calls have suddenly started calling you.
“If you call them and you miss their call, they call you back. Those are devices”, he said.
Governor Otti while reflecting on his administration’s record, said much of its first three years had been devoted to laying the foundation for Abia’s development, and expressed confidence that the coming years would focus on consolidating the gains already made.
The governor expressed optimism that the next four years, beginning in 2027, would bring further improvements in governance and development, adding that Abia had become a point of reference.
On the church’s development projects, governor Otti pledged to identify with the congregation until the project was completed.
He, however, reiterated his administration’s position that public resources must be deployed for the collective development of the state rather than individual religious projects.
He commended the guest preacher for delivering what he described as an appropriate and unadulterated message, noting that the synod’s theme was particularly relevant as the country approached another election cycle.
According to him, Christians have a responsibility to scrutinise information, examine issues carefully and make informed decisions rather than accept claims without questioning them.
Earlier, the Bishop of Aba Ngwa North Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Dr Nathan Kanu, said the synod’s theme challengs Christians to move beyond merely hearing messages to examining them thoughtfully, praying for discernment and responding wisely.
Bishop Kanu commended Governor Otti for identifying with the church and supporting its activities and prayed for God’s blessings on the governor and his administration.
In his sermon, titled “The Bereans’ Wisdom”, the guest speaker and Bishop of Ohaji/Egbema Diocese, Rt. Rev. Chidi Oparajiaku, urged Christians to subject what they hear to careful examination before taking action.
The cleric who took his message from Acts 17:12–15, said the synod’s theme was timely because it encouraged discernment rather than the outright rejection of information.
He regretted that Christians who ought to be guided by biblical teachings were sometimes deceived because they failed to emulate the Bereans, who carefully examined what they were taught.
The clergyman thanked God for giving Abia a governor who, he said, had changed the state’s narrative for the better.
