Politics

Coalition: Otti Speaks On Report Of Leaving LP

Published

1 month ago

July 2, 2025

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has denied rumours suggesting he is planning to defect from the Labour Party to either the All Progressives Congress or the proposed opposition coalition party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking at a dinner in Umuahia on Tuesday to mark the start of the 2025 mid-year retreat for government appointees, Otti reaffirmed his commitment to the Labour Party, insisting he has not attended any coalition meeting and remains focused on delivering his mandate to Abians.

‎He said, ‎“I will just spend a few minutes talking about what some members of the Global Economic Council have been asking me. One of them is the report about five governors decamping to the APC. I’m still a member of the Labour Party and I’m not looking for where to decamp to.

‎“The second point is about coalition, and a lot of people have been asking me, are you a member of the coalition? And my response is, have you seen my name? Have you seen me attending the coalition meeting?

‎“We are just busy doing the work that Abia people have given us. So, we are not attending any coalition meeting, I have not attended any one, and nobody has invited me.

‎“I am happy where I am. Yes, we had issues. If you don’t have issues, you are dead So, you wake up and there is one problem or the other, you solve the problem. You don’t run away from a problem and pretend to have solved it.”

The governor added that while the party had faced internal challenges, those issues were resolved at the Supreme Court.

Otti also dismissed claims that his administration had been borrowing to run the state, saying Abia has not taken any new loans since he assumed office in May 2023.

‎Otti said, “There is nothing wrong with criticising the government, but you must criticise with facts. Opinions are free, but facts are sacred.

‎“Some people have come out to say that we are borrowing; they are lying. Did I borrow from them? I saw a report yesterday that says that 26 out of the 36 states have actually reduced loans in the last 12 months, and Abia came first, having reduced its debt profile by 57.20% in one year.
‎
‎“So, when we say we have not borrowed, we know what we are talking about. But that we have not borrowed doesn’t mean we will not borrow. We will borrow when we need to borrow. We will borrow for regenerative investments. We will not borrow to eat. We will not borrow to consume. We will borrow for capital expenditure.”

The governor announced that providing potable water is the next major focus of his administration, with projects set to be flagged off in Aba and Umuahia in the coming weeks.

“We want to get to that level where you open your tap and you have public water running. In the next few weeks, we are going to flag off the water project in Aba around CKC. There is also another one in Umuahia and a lot of other places. We will get there,” the governor added.

He said a new Project Implementation Bureau has been established, headed by Onyinye Nwosu, a former General Electric employee in Canada who returned to contribute to Abia’s development.

The event also marked the first anniversary of the Abia Global Economic Advisory Council, a 20-member team of professionals guiding the state’s development strategy.

Earlier in her speech on behalf of the Council, the Co-Chair of the Abia Global Economic Advisory Council, Prof. Ms. Arunma Oteh, said that it was a pleasure to serve in the Economic Advisory Council.
‎
‎The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, thanked the members of the Council for their sacrifices to help the administration succeed.

Some members of the Council present during the event were Prof. Ms Arunma Oteh – Co-Chair, Mrs Ifueko Okauru – Chair, M&E Committee, Mr Victor Onyenkpa – Chair, Financing/roadshow Committee, ⁠Mrs Ezinwa Okoroafor – Member, Mr Chidi Ajaegbu – Member, and Dr Olugbenda Adesida – Member, including members of the State Executive Council and political appointees.

Politics

By-Election: APC Correcting PDP 8 Years Of Underdevelopment In Edo, Days Idahosa

Published

14 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

The deputy governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa says the Monday Okpebholo-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state is correcting the eight years wrong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Idahosa, however, urged more support for the administration and the APC to attract more developmental projects across the nook and cranny of the state.

Idahosa made this statement when the campaign train stormed Usen and Ugbogui wards of Ovia South West Local Government Area.

He urged the people to come out enmass to exercise their civic duty on Saturday in support of the APC candidate, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

Idahosa said support for the party would mean more developmental projects for the area that had lacked same from the immediate past administration of the PDP.

“The present APC government led by Sen. Monday Okpebholo is the one that has started transforming your area within nine months in the office.

“He can only do more with your support, especially by voting for his party’s candidate on Saturday,” he pleaded.

On her part, the APC candidate, Omosede Igbinedion, promised to synergise with the governor his deputy to attract more developmental projects to the constituency.

Similarly, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, said the government has put measures in place to ensure no students is sent home for want of school fee.

According to him, the state government has concluded plans to pay bursaries for students while market women would enjoy soft loans.

Meanwhile, Elawure of Usen, Ovia south west local government ,have advised Politicians to be united in their pursuit of common goal of delivery dividends of democracy to the people.

Oluogbe II gave this advise when he received the campaign team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the state deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa.

The traditional ruler expressed joy in the unity between Idahosa and the APC candidate for the Ovia federal constituency bye-election scheduled Saturday, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

He noted that the present unity and synergy between the former political foe would bring nothing but victory for their party, as well as development to the people of the federal constituency.

Politics

Jonathan, Obi Can’t Match APC’s Strength For 2027 – Mustapha Salihu

Published

1 day ago

August 11, 2025

Editor

The National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, has dismissed the chances of former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi emerging as strong contenders for the 2027 elections under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking in an interview on Arise News on Sunday, Salihu described the PDP as technically non-existent and argued that neither Jonathan nor Obi possessed the political capacity to challenge the APC’s structure and readiness.

“Jonathan is a gentleman and a patriotic Nigerian, but when it comes to performance, the difference between his six years and President Tinubu’s two years is clear,” Salihu said.

“We inherited what seemed like insurmountable security and economic challenges, yet we have stabilised critical sectors, taken courageous decisions, and achieved visible results. Jonathan does not have the political acumen to take the tough decisions required at this time.”

Salihu claimed that those urging Jonathan to return to the PDP were driven by personal interests rather than concern for Nigeria.

“Some of them were part of his government and want to rule the country by proxy. Nigerians will not subscribe to that,” he said, adding that the deep divisions within the PDP make a Jonathan candidacy unrealistic.

On Obi, Salihu criticised his post-2023 political strategy, saying the former governor lost the momentum he had after the last election.

“Obi had a near revolution in 2023 with massive youth support, but after losing, he abandoned his governorship candidates. If he had supported them, he could have had at least seven governors today as a launchpad for the future. Instead, he made alliances that did not benefit him, and now he lacks the structure to contest and win a presidential election in Nigeria,” he stated.

The APC chieftain insisted the ruling party was fully prepared for 2027.

“We are not panicking or shaking. We have the structure, leadership ability, achievements, and organisational capacity to prosecute an election any day, any time. No party in Nigeria today can match the APC,” he added.

Politics

Alleged ₦3.51bn Travel Expenditure: Ignore PDP’s Claim On Okpebholo, Edo APC Tells Residents

Published

1 day ago

August 11, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged residents of the state to ignore PDP’s allegation that governor of the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has spent a whopping ₦3.51bn on travels in the last eight months.

In a statement signed by
Emperor Jarrett Tenebe,
State Chairman of the party, and made available to INFO DAILY in Benin on Monday, the APC said such claims were imagination of the PDP, adding that it “exposed their poor and lack of understanding of broader key economic indicators—which reflected in their negative impact on Edo State people throughout their disastrous eight years administration.”

Tenebe, who said the state governor has not embarked on any foreign trip since he assumed office on November 12, 2024, stressed that Okpebholo has demonstrated prudence since taking over from the opposition party.

He said: “For the records, the APC administration led by His Excellency Senator Monday Okpebholo has demonstrated financial prudence since taking over from the PDP abstracted-MOU ‘419’ government on November 12, 2024.

“Accusing the present administration of wasting ₦3.51bn on imaginable ‘travels’ when the governor has not embarked on any foreign trip since November 12, 2024, shows that the half a dozen PDP renegades are obviously suffering from an acute form of hallucination which is associated with neurological disorders, due to the effects of overdose of substances and post election defeat syndrome.

“Our party, the APC wishes to place on record that Senator Okpebholo is a grassroots leader who is interested in finding home grown solutions to reposition the various sectors for measurable growth in the shortest possible time.”

The APC State Chairman, who noted that the current admission is interested in development across the state and nothing else, Okpebholo will never siphon resources meant for the development of the state.

He added: “The APC government in Edo State is only interested in all round development of the 18 local government areas in line with global best practices.

“Governor Okpebholo will not continue in the habit of siphoning the state’s resources through fictitious globe trotting as witnessed in the last PDP administration.”