Alex Otti, governor of Abia state, has expressed confidence ahead of the 2027 election, stating that the people of the state will protect the progress made under his administration.
Otti spoke during a public lecture on Thursday, where he downplayed concerns about his re-election prospects.
“I don’t think you should worry so much, because it is the people themselves that will protect what they have,” he said.
The governor argued that once citizens make political choices based on conviction, it becomes difficult to reverse them.
“When people make their choices, they build on those choices; it becomes very difficult to take them back,” he added.
Otti also revisited past elections, maintaining that electoral outcomes in 2015 and 2019 did not reflect the will of the people.
“We actually won those elections,” he said, stressing that political platforms are secondary to the choices of voters.
He noted that party affiliation is often fluid in Nigeria, but insisted that what matters most is the vision behind leadership.
“What is critical is that when you have a vision, you hold on to that vision,” he said.
The governor urged citizens to remain engaged in the democratic process, warning against voter apathy.
“You don’t come out to vote, you have already voted for the wrong people,” he said.
Otti also spoke on governance and development, calling for a rethink of Nigeria’s political structure to reduce the cost of governance.
He suggested that the country may need to reconsider the number of states and explore a more efficient system.
“Nothing is sacrosanct; we may have to ask questions about what works best for us,” he said.
He added that resources saved from governance reforms could be redirected to capital development and public services.
