Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, has challenged former governors of Abia State, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Theodore Orji and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to stop invoking the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in their opposition to Governor Alex Otti and instead present their own records of achievement while in office.
Rev. Fr. Anokwuru, who is the Special Adviser on Policies and Interventions to Governor Otti, was reacting to recent statements by the former governors and other opposition figures, who reportedly vowed to ensure that Otti serves only one term and that Abia State returns to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Addressing journalists in Umuahia on Sunday, the cleric described the alliance against Otti as a gathering of failed politicians whose objective, he said, was to undermine the current administration and derail ongoing efforts at good governance in the state.
He challenged the former governors and other opposition leaders to present verifiable scorecards of their performance while in power, rather than relying on what he termed the “borrowed might” of President Tinubu.
According to him, the public should critically interrogate not only the claims of the opposition but also their integrity.
“Everything about your supposed criticism against Dr. Alex Otti’s administration is rested on ‘Renewed Hope.’ It is expected that an opposition made up of past governors and political office holders should build their arguments based on their own achievements in the past, rather than on name-dropping President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Anokwuru said.
While acknowledging that opposition is a vital component of democracy, he argued that it loses its moral force when driven by bitterness, selfish interests and misinformation rather than facts and policy-based critique.
“When opposition shifts from principled criticism to deliberate misinformation, it ceases to be a democratic asset and becomes a personal vendetta,” he said.
Anokwuru further stated that the posture of some opposition figures in Abia appeared less like constructive engagement and more like a coalition driven by animosity, political survival and relevance.
He expressed concern over what he described as the heavy reliance on perceived federal influence, stressing that opposition politics should be anchored on ideas, track records and alternative visions.
“Federal proximity cannot substitute for local legitimacy, nor can it erase the lived experiences of the people under previous administrations,” he said.
The cleric noted that President Tinubu had not shown support for what he described as propaganda being pushed by the opposition, adding that the President was aware of Governor Otti’s performance and had continued to show support for his administration.
“Abia State deserves an opposition that is intellectually honest, fact-driven and rooted in the welfare of the people. Anything short of that is not opposition in the true sense, but a reactionary alliance struggling to remain relevant,” he said.
Anokwuru accused the former governors of envy, alleging that Otti’s achievements had eclipsed theirs.
He attributed what he described as the anger of the opposition to their inability to confront the state of infrastructure they left behind while in office.
Advising the former governors to accept political reality, Anokwuru said power had left them and urged them to act with humility.
“No kingdom lasts forever. All powers fade. It is wisdom to recognise when power has left you,” he said.
He insisted that claims suggesting public dissatisfaction with Otti’s administration were misleading, arguing that Abia residents were pleased with the governor’s developmental strides.
“Even the blind can feel the transformative effect of Dr. Alex Otti in Abia. Only the wicked can call evil good and good evil,” he said.
The cleric urged the opposition to abandon what he described as politics of vendetta and work in the interest of Abia State.
He also cautioned them against attempting to incite President Tinubu against Governor Otti, noting that both leaders had enjoyed a cordial relationship long before venturing into partisan politics.
“Stop forcing enmity between Dr. Alex Otti and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It cannot work because their friendship is beyond politics,” he said.
Anokwuru further dismissed comparisons between Otti’s administration and that of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, describing such parallels as analytically flawed due to differing historical and structural contexts.
According to him, Otti’s government is focused on rebuilding and institutional reorientation after years of systemic decline, making its priorities necessarily foundational.
He added that national and international awards won by Otti’s administration were evidence of its performance.
The cleric also faulted arguments that it should be Abia North’s turn to produce the governor in 2027, describing such claims as attempts to overheat the polity.
He said Abians were no longer interested in zoning but in performance and character, which, according to him, Governor Otti had demonstrated.
