Abia State Politics: Ex-Governor,Theodore Orji, Alex Otti Trade Words

The immediate past Governor of Abia State and representative of Abia Central Senatorial District, Theodore Orji, has berated the All Progressives Grand Alliance gubernatorial candidate in the state, Dr. Alex Otti, for dragging him into his political misadventures.

Otti and APGA had in a documentary aired on one of the leading private television stations in the country on January 25, laid their political misfortunes on Orji.

They accused him of compromising the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, to reverse his earlier cancellation of the election in Obingwa, Isialangwa North and Osisioma Local Government Areas.

In a press release signed by his Media Adviser, Don Norman Obinna, and made available to newsmen on Sunday, Orji said he would have disregarded the documentary meant to manipulate the psyche of some gullible Nigerians to accept as factual Otti’s fictitious and contemptible allegation of intimidation and massive rigging in favour of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, but for posterity sake since Otti and his allies would not desist from their campaign of calumny against him.

The statement reads: “For the records, Senator Orji who was the then Governor of Abia State was with Chief Olisa Metuh in his residence when he got inkling of an imminent breakdown of law and order as upshot of the announced cancellation of Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialangwa North Local Government Areas by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba.

“As the then Chief Security Officer of the state, he moved to the INEC office (the scene of the event), and went straight to the REC. Celina Okoh, not the R.O. Prof Ozumba to be acquainted with the reason for the cancellation since they were not constitutionally empowered to do so.“Initially he was told that the directive was given by Professor Attahiru Jega who immediately when informed of the decision of the R.O to cancel results overruled it on the grounds that he has no such powers.

“It’s important to state that on his arrival at the INEC office, Senator Orji’s conversation and inquiry started and ended with the REC. Celina Okoh. His purported meeting and implicit compromised of the integrity of the R.O, Prof. Ozumba only exist in the imaginations of the peddlers of this appalling lie as projected in the malicious documentary.

“Both individuals are still very much alive and can attest to his ingenuousness in this contrived allegation designed to inveigle into the affection of unsuspecting public and by extension the judiciary.”Orji however said as an elder statesman, he is committed only to the actions that will engender peace, unity and most especially the political stability of Abia State to ensure that she attained her God’s Own status.He therefore advised Otti and his allies to desist from their wicked lies against his person in their anxious effort to climb to power through sponsored propaganda as his monumental achievements are there to speak for him.

“His qualitative governance in Abia State was one of the reasons, the masses overwhelmingly voted for him to represent them at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly and that he is committed to doing with all sense of responsibility,” the statement added