Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has issued a stern warning to individuals allegedly plotting to rig the 2027 governorship election in the state, urging them to “write their will” before attempting to subvert the will of the people.
Speaking during his monthly media interaction with journalists at the Government House in Umuahia on Thursday, Otti said he had received intelligence reports suggesting that some political actors were already holding secret meetings and planning to “take over the state” through unlawful means.
“I’ve heard that some people around him said if they must take over the state, they will write results,” the governor said.
Otti, who was elected under the Labour Party in 2023, maintained that the people of Abia would freely choose their next leader through the ballot box, not through manipulation.
“The only advice I have for them is this: if they truly want to write results, they should first write something else before that time you know what that is? Their will. Because this is our state, and nobody can intimidate us,” he warned.
The governor also cautioned politicians against engaging in premature political campaigns, reminding them that doing so violates electoral laws. He advised aspirants and their supporters to wait for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially release the timetable for campaigns.
“We must respect the law. If INEC releases the timetable and says, ‘This is when campaigns start,’ and you begin before then, you put yourself in harm’s way you could even be disqualified before the election,” Otti explained.
He further stressed that any political gathering or public declaration of ambition before INEC’s official timetable amounts to early campaigning.
“When you gather people and start telling them you’ll take over the state in 2027, you’re already campaigning. It’s not right,” he said. “If anyone intends to contest, once INEC blows the whistle, they should go and pick up a form and begin to campaign. It is for Abia people to decide who will be their governor.”
