Abians mustsafeguard the ongoing transformation, says Otti

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State called on residents to safeguard the gains made by his administration and warned that the state must not revert to the previous regime.

Speaking on Sunday at the State Conference of the Aba North Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints in Okpulu‑Umuobo, Aba, Otti cautioned against any effort to reverse the developmental path his government has set.

He said his 2023 election was the result of divine intervention and described his administration as being on a “divine journey to rebuild the state and reposition it for sustainable development.” He appealed to Abians to maintain support for his “visionary leadership capable of sustaining the momentum of development beyond this tenure.”

The governor added that future state leaders will be held to higher expectations and stressed that governance in Abia must never revert to the “old order.”

“So anyone who makes an attempt to take us back, we will not allow it. And it’s not about me; it’s about all of us,” Otti said.

He said his administration has restored Abians’ dignity and pride by overturning years of misgovernance, neglect, and negative public perception, and noted that the embarrassment and pity he experienced when identifying as an Abia native motivated his entry into politics.

He observed that before his 2023 inauguration, Abians were frequently regarded with pity nationwide due to the state’s poor condition and leadership failures.

“That was the choice that we made. And then I said, no, we can’t continue to like this. So we left what we were doing to come and see if we could rescue the state.”