Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, was honoured by the Ukwa La Ngwa political bloc with a public endorsement, during which the community raised N100 million to purchase a nomination form for him ahead of his re-election bid in 2027.
The N100 million donation was announced by the Steering Committee for Ukwa La Ngwa Civic Reception for Governor Alex Otti, on Friday, January 30th, at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, during the grand civic reception organised for the Governor.
The political rally was a giant show of political dominance, dominating the headlines and attracting everyone who mattered in Abia State’s political and business space. In attendance was the chairman of the occasion and BoT Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara and Abia state business personality, Dr Chima Anyaso, amongst other dignitaries.
Speaking at the event, Otti expressed his appreciation to the community for endorsing him and organising a large event in his honour.
“The time we came in here this afternoon, the mammoth crowd was intimidating. I want to thank all of you. Thank you for the endorsement. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the encouragement.” Said Otti
“One thing you can take home is that because this is your government, your interest will always come first. As has been said, some of the people making noise are all about self-interest. But you can see here, this is not about a party or a partisan celebration”.He added.
The mammoth crowd gathered for the event proved that, despite the collective efforts of ex-Abia governors to dilute his influence, the Labour Party man still has a strong political base in the state.
Otti’s Strong Organic Support and Growing Political Dominance
The key takeaway from the Ukwa La Ngwa outing is the strong support in one of the most important areas of Abia State. The Ukwa La Ngwa community, or Political bloc, is a massive socio-political bloc in Abia State that contains both the most urbanised city in the region and several remote rural communities.
The Ukwa La Ngwa bloc comprises urban areas such as Aba and semi-urban areas such as Osisioma Ngwa, Obingwa, and Ugwunagbo.
Political support in areas like this is expensive to buy giving the higher levels of income and population in such areas. This contrasts with loyalty in rural areas, which is very cheap and can be easily bought with no stellar performance to justify it.
Alex Otti’s outing in Ukwa La Ngwa reflects the organic support he has been courting in the region following his stellar performance in his first term as the state’s governor. This comes amid growing opposition led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and ex-governors of the state.
The decision to purchase a nomination form for the governor reflects on Otti’s path to a second term and how the race might be a smooth one.
Ovom Road and Enyimba Hotel in View
Otti seized the opportunity at his grand civic reception by the Ukwa La Ngwa community to announce upcoming projects in the state and their level of implementation. He stated that he will be commissioning Ovom road on the 25th of February and flagging off the reconstruction of Enyimba Hotel, a Five-Star Hotel being handled by Radisson Blu, on the same day.
The grand reception was attended by members of the House of Representatives, business leaders, political titans and the general public
