According to reports, a number of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State’s Ukwa East Local Government Area have switched to the Labour Party (LP), supporting Governor Alex Otti’s bid for a second term.
Political heavyweights from the region, including former APC Majority Leader of the Abia State House of Assembly Hon. Paul Taribo, former Commissioner and former Chairman of the Ukwa East Transition Committee Hon. Ossy Nwamuo, two-time Commissioner for Women Affairs Lady Chinedu Brown, and Ukwa East State Constituency Representative Hon. Lewis Obianyi, are among the defectors, according to reports.
The endorsement was made on Thursday in the Ohanku hamlet, where locals and political figures came together in what they called a unanimous decision to support the governor regardless of party.
Alex Otti welcomed the defectors and thanked them for their endorsement and support in the 2027 election for governor.
He took the opportunity to address long-standing infrastructural issues, especially the lack of electricity, which locals claimed had plagued the entire Ndoki territory for more than 20 years.
“We have no option but to grant you power if we could grant power not only to Ukwa West but also to Etche, which is not a part of Abia State,” Otti stated.
You most likely need transformers and a smart metering system because I know you already have power drawn here. I can assure you that you will have power here by the end of March if that is necessary.
The governor gave the Commissioner for Works instructions to finish and expand Ohanku Road into the village.
Additionally, he promised the locals that Obohia Road’s reconstruction—which he characterized as capital-intensive—would be extended to Obohia village in Ukwa East LGA. Internal roads that Senator Adolphus Wabara had proposed will also be given consideration, he said.
Otti revealed talks with his colleague from Akwa Ibom State to guarantee enduring peace in the region about ongoing border conflicts, especially in Akirika Obu.
In response to requests for the resuscitation of Abia palm, the governor disclosed that his administration has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with a multinational company that produces and processes palm.
With four of the 11 primary healthcare facilities in Ukwa East currently active and the remaining ones anticipated to be operational in 45 days, Otti also revealed that his government has finished renovating and upgrading these facilities.
Additionally, he gave the Ukwa East Mayor instructions to perform palliative repairs on the roofs of the school buildings at the event site, pledging a full restoration at a later time.
Otti Refuses to Take the Chieftaincy Title
Otti asked the Ukwa East Traditional Rulers Council to postpone giving him a chieftaincy title until after his tenure in 2031, a move that was met with enthusiasm.
According to him, public officials shouldn’t be honored while they are still in office.
Other leaders, including as Lewis Obianyi, Uzoma Nkem Abonta, Ambassador Okey Emuche, and Lady Chinedu Brown, together with former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, characterized the endorsement as a unanimous choice of the Ukwa people.
They emphasized that the action was a collaborative decision to back a governor they believed had performed credibly rather than just being political.
The crowd unanimously approved Wabara’s formal motion supporting Otti for a second term, which was seconded by Hon. Lewis Obianyi.
In addition to restoring primary healthcare facilities and rebuilding schools, the leaders praised the governor for initiating the construction of Ukwa East’s first general hospital.
However, they encouraged him to give the restoration of electricity, the revitalization of Abia Palm, the extension of road projects from Aba to Ukwa East, and the peace restoration in Akirika Obu first priority.
On behalf of the Asa community, Eze Ikeagwuchi Ekeke and Hon. Chibunna Akara, the Mayor of Ukwa East LGA, both spoke, highlighting Otti’s accomplishments in the region while highlighting additional barriers to growth.
Traditional rulers prayed for the governor and gave him presents while Prince Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Information, and other dignitaries attended.
