A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State and member of the Renewed Hope Partners, Hon. Solomon Nwokeukwu, has accused Governor Alex Otti of desperation to defect to the ruling party after, according to him, sensing an imminent defeat ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Nwokeukwu alleged that the governor has lost credibility and public trust, recalling that Otti had once vowed never to join the APC but is now, in his words, “running from pillar to post” in a bid to secure entry into the party.
He further claimed that while supporters of the governor were publicly attacking the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, Otti was allegedly engaging in quiet lobbying of APC leaders in Lagos and at the Presidency to facilitate his defection.
According to Nwokeukwu, even if the governor succeeds in joining the APC, it would not automatically guarantee him the party’s governorship ticket, stressing that the party would still conduct a primary election to determine its candidate for the 2027 polls in Abia State.
The Renewed Hope Partners member also launched a blistering critique of the Otti administration, accusing it of presiding over what he described as “a government of propaganda, lies, and deceit,” while insisting that the gap between official claims and realities on the ground continues to widen.
He alleged that the administration has little to show for the billions of naira it claims to have spent on capital projects since assuming office in 2023, arguing that residents are being presented with “façades and photo opportunities” instead of meaningful development.
“With that kind of money, Abia should be witnessing landmark projects. But what we see are old buildings repainted and paraded as new health centres, inflated road contracts, and ICT training being passed off as capital expenditure,” he said.
Nwokeukwu further warned that Otti risks going down in history as a one-term governor, alleging that the administration spends as much as ₦4 billion to construct a single kilometre of road. “In the end, Otti is proving worse than the politicians he once condemned for corruption and waste,” he added.
