We are not in alliance with Otti, LP — Abia APC

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

UMUAHIA — The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has dismissed reports of an alleged alliance between the party, Governor Alex Otti and the Labour Party (LP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The state APC chairman, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat in Umuahia, saying he had consulted key stakeholders in the state and could confirm that no such agreement or alliance existed.

Chukwu insisted that the APC would not enter into an alliance with the Labour Party, which he accused of inflicting hardship on residents of the state.

He also accused the administration of Governor Otti of alleged lack of accountability and questioned the handling of some government contracts.

The APC chairman dismissed reports that the party’s governorship candidate, Eric Opah, and some other stakeholders had entered into an alliance with the Labour Party in the state.

“If there is anybody that should know, I should be the one. I am the state chairman, and I have consulted the highest stakeholders in the state, and I want to tell you that there is no such unholy alliance, and there will never be,” Chukwu said.

Chukwu also criticised the Otti administration over what he described as alleged inflated contracts and the handling of some government policies.

“A party that has claimed billions of naira in the name of school renovation. A party that is carrying out its activities as though we are in a military regime, where a lecturer will be suspended for airing his views. Are we in tyranny, are we in military regime? But we have a tyrant in Abia as the head of government,” he said.

He added: “If the party must go into alliance, it is not going to be with such a tyrant. A party in a state that has not taken the issue of accountability seriously, contracts are being over-inflated.”

The APC chairman, however, urged members of the party to approach the 2027 elections as a united force and warned candidates against using the party’s tickets to negotiate with other political parties.

“We need to go into the election as one strong body. If you think you have taken the ticket of this party for House of Assembly, and you are going to use it to negotiate, we are watching you,” he said.

Chukwu said any political negotiations by the party would be based on the pursuit of good governance, accountability and improved welfare for residents.

“We will negotiate in a direction of good government, a government that will be accountable to the people, a government that will pay pensions, a government that will give Abians acceptable minimum wage,” he said.

The state chairman expressed confidence that the APC would win the 2027 elections in Abia, stressing that members would be recognised and benefit from the party only when they remained committed to the APC.

“I cannot sign an agreement where I as the state chairman will not be a beneficiary. I can only be a beneficiary when I have a governor that is APC, when I have a senator that is APC, when I have a House of Representatives member that is APC, when I have a House of Assembly member that is APC, likewise you,” he said.

At the meeting, the party also granted unconditional pardon to members facing disciplinary action, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, and the member representing Ukwa Federal Constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, who had recently been suspended over alleged anti-party comments.

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