Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the factional governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Alex Otti, titled “This is not 2015: Alex Otti Warns Ikpeazu”.
In the statement, Mr Otti was quoted as saying in Lagos, among other things, that “We are going to Abia this time with red eye. This is not 2015, I have dropped the garb of gentility”.
While we ordinarily would have ignored the statements credited to Otti as simply the rantings of a desperate politician seeking to acquire immunity from imminent prosecution for destroying a hitherto thriving commercial bank, it is important that we put security agencies on notice of the plot by Otti to import hoodlums from outside and within the state to unleash violence on Abians who have continued to reject his hate driven political activities.
It is verifiably on record that during the 2015 election campaign, Otti employed thugs from within and outside the state to attack members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as already confirmed by the then leader of the youth wing of his group, Mr Obinna Friday, who recently confessed to leading other youths under Otti’s instruction to attack his opponents. The said Mr Obinna, having realised the puerility of his actions, has tendered a public apology to the people and subsequently decamped to the camp of Governor Ikpeazu whom he described as “a peace loving and development minded leader”.
That Otti has apparently vowed to unleash higher levels of violence on our people is worth noting as the supporters of Governor Ikpeazu might be compelled to defend themselves if that happens. Abians are not cowards and the Diasporan Otti must be made aware of that fact.
We have also noted the threat to destroy political campaign materials belonging to his opponents which Otti and his gang of political herdsmen have already started executing around Abia North Senatorial zone of the state.
He will soon find out that, indeed, “enough is enough”, as the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on him and his hirelings.
Observers of Abia politics are fully aware of the peaceful disposition of Governor Ikpeazu which won for the state the award of the “most peaceful state in Nigeria”. It is important that the likes of self acclaimed un-gentleman Otti do not take that to mean weakness of any kind. There is a compelling need to remind him that meekness does not necessarily translate to weakness!
Governor Ikpeazu depends on God to fight his fights as he agrees with Francine Rivers who said; “Stand firm in the Lord. Stand firm and let Him fight your battle. Do not try to fight alone.” A million Otti’s will not make him abandon that deep rooted philosophy.
We believe that a successful 2019 election is one lost and won without violence or loss of any Abia life as we believe that the ambition of any politician is not worth the life of any Abian. Mr Otti must therefore be told in clear terms that his politics of violence is not welcomed in Abia State.
If and when Mr Otti comes to Abia from Lagos or wherever he lives, he should be assured that Governor Ikpeazu will defeat him again in 2019 and cure his “red eyes” with LOVE as advised by Mahatma Gandhi who said “Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.”
Comrade O’Brien Iroh
For: Ikpeazu Vision Rangers
14th November, 2018.
