Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has officially flagged off his re-election campaign, calling on residents to support his bid for a second term to sustain ongoing reforms and consolidate the development gains recorded by his administration.
The campaign rally, held at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Sunday, attracted thousands of Labour Party supporters from the 17 local government areas of the state, as well as various support groups, organisations and cultural troupes.
This was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa.
Addressing the crowd, Otti described the 2023 governorship election, which brought him to power, as a defining moment in Abia’s political history, insisting that the state must not return to what he termed years of poor governance and political irresponsibility.
Recalling his unsuccessful governorship bids in 2015 and 2019, the governor said his eventual victory in 2023 marked the beginning of a new political direction for the state.
“We ended the era of political profiteers. We defied intimidation to liberate Abia and break Abia from the era of siege. Never shall we go back to the era of irresponsibility. Nothing will make us go back to Egypt,” he declared.
He also condemned past incidents in which residents allegedly suffered property demolitions because of their political affiliations, assuring that such practices would not be tolerated under his administration.
“Never again will anyone’s fence be pulled down on account of political choices. I declare Abia free,” Otti stated.
The governor said his second-term ambition was aimed at strengthening the institutional foundations of his administration’s achievements, deepening transparency and ensuring continuity in the state’s development programmes.
Unveiling the campaign manifesto, titled ‘The New Abia: From Rescue to Consolidation’, Otti said it contained a roadmap for sustaining and expanding the achievements recorded in the last three and a half years.
Highlighting his administration’s performance, he disclosed that about 400 road projects, covering more than 1,000 kilometres, had been completed across the state.
He specifically mentioned the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Road, Oboha Road and Ohanku Road in Aba, alongside Arochukwu Road, which he described as among the previously neglected infrastructure projects.
On education and healthcare, Otti said his government had strengthened primary healthcare services, recruited more than 9,000 teachers and established smart schools in different communities.
He also highlighted financial interventions in Abia State University, Uturu, and Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, noting that his administration was equally pursuing industrial revival, agricultural development and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to him, the interventions are designed to improve living standards, promote food security, create economic opportunities and restore public confidence in governance.
In a message to opposition parties, the governor reaffirmed his commitment to democratic freedom and political tolerance, assuring that all parties would be allowed to conduct their campaigns without intimidation.
He consequently directed government officials to make public facilities accessible to political parties and candidates for campaign activities, subject to the payment of applicable charges and compliance with existing regulations.
Otti urged Labour Party supporters to conduct issue-based campaigns, focusing on policies, development records and the party’s vision for the state, while cautioning against violence, intimidation and electoral misconduct.
He also appealed to voters to support Labour Party candidates in the forthcoming general elections.
