Governor Otti
Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, the immediate past Deputy Governor of Abia State and a key figure in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has explained the reasons behind his recent visit to Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party.
The former Deputy Governor, who also served as Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly and Deputy Governor under ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, met with Governor Otti at his Nvosi country residence on Tuesday evening.
Speaking exclusively to Vanguard, Sir Oko Chukwu emphasized that the visit was aimed at encouraging the Governor to continue with his commendable development efforts in the state.
He said, “I needed to convey my personal feelings about the achievements of the Governor who, I must say, has done well by all standards.”
The former Speaker stressed that the visit was not politically motivated, highlighting that being in the opposition does not prevent one from recognizing positive developments.
He declared, “You see, let me tell you, I’ve gone around Abia State, especially those of us who come from Abia North. You just discovered that the kind of road infrastructure that we have there is unprecedented.”
“It’s not all about politics. No propaganda about it. The truth must be told. There is a remarkable improvement now across Abia State.”
“The Governor has been very intentional in virtually everything that he’s doing. Is it in terms of road infrastructure, health, or sports? He is very, very intentional, and the results are showing.”
“In fact, going by what he has done so far, and without mincing words, Gov. Otti has earned himself another tenure.”
He went on to commend the noticeable changes in towns like Aba and Umuahia, adding, “Just try and move around Aba, move around Umuahia, and other towns, the level of cleanliness is such that we have not witnessed before. I’m not the only one observing these. People on the street can confirm it.”
“So, I went to commend him and to appreciate him and let him know that all hands are on deck to support him. And looking at all that he has been able to do within just two years, you can just be reassured that the man has earned himself another tenure,” Sir Oko Chukwu declared.
When asked if his visit implied that the administration he served was a failure, he clarified, “I wasn’t there to compare administrations. The essence of my visit was simply to encourage the Governor whom I have observed is doing well.”
On speculation about a possible defection from the PDP to the Labour Party, the former Deputy Governor dismissed such notions, saying, “It was not the import of the visit, stressing that if at any time he felt like leaving the PDP, he would equally make such move public.”
Sir Oko Chukwu was accompanied by some of his close aides, including his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Obasi.
