RIGHT OF REPLY
Ferdinand Ekeoma
The author of the piece titled “Otti’s Three-Day Memory” is, by all indications, a pseudonymous writer hired to do a hatchet job. Reputable political commentators based in Owerri say he does not exist. Not a single notable journalist in Owerri has acknowledged ever hearing that name. This suggests that the writer is not only an illiterate comedian who should not be taken seriously, but also a hapless ignoramus attempting to discuss a subject beyond his knowledge and intellectual gravitas. Worst of all, he is a coward who clearly does not believe in the dirty job he has been paid to do.
Why are we responding?
To cure a debilitating ignorance that ought not to be given a public platform, and to disabuse the minds of victims and potential victims who may be misled by the falsehoods and disinformation emanating from him.
On Subsidy Removal and Governor Otti’s Commendation of the President
Governor Otti stands by his statement that the President took a wise, commendable, and courageous decision in removing fuel subsidy and floating the naira. For the record, Governor Otti’s stance on economic reform is rooted in deep intellectual conviction, not political convenience. His advocacy for subsidy removal predates the Tinubu administration. However, the President deserves commendation for having the courage to implement it. Those embittered by this position should reflect on their understanding of democracy and governance.
Timeline of Governor Otti’s Position:
March 13, 2016, in his backpage column, “Outside The Box” titled “The Foreign Exchange Monster” in Thisday Newspapers, Dr. Otti had argued over 10 years ago that the foreign exchange market needed to be deregulated. Again, in another Backpage column on September 24, 2018, titled “Subsidies: Working the Monkey and Feeding the Baboon” Dr. Otti maintained that subsidy was not sustainable and that the beneficiaries were those who it was not intended for.
On August 24, 2020, writing in his column, “Outside The Box” in ThisDay Newspapers, titled “Towards Dismantling the Petroleum Subsidy Regime” Dr. Otti argued extensively that Nigeria must remove fuel subsidy, warning that it had become an unsustainable scam.
Again on October 5, 2023 Gov. Otti delivered the 63rd Founders Day lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he publicly endorsed the removal of petroleum subsidy, stating it was the right decision that should have been taken a decade earlier, while advising that better cushioning measures be put in place. On December 22, 2023 in Lagos, Governor Otti praised the President’s courage, reiterating that unifying the exchange rate and removing the subsidy on petroleum— which he again described as a scam — would yield long-term economic benefits.
In March 2026, while receiving Federal Character Commissioner Dr. Victor Ikeji, Otti reaffirmed his long-held position, stating “some of us have held positions in the past that completely align with what the President is doing today… the President was courageous enough to make a decision on it.”
So the question is: why has this now become an issue? Is it because of elections that is around the corner?
On Otti Being Afraid of Offending A Certain Category Of Supporters
The peddlers of this hogwash betray a lack of understanding of Abia politics and the history of Otti’s political journey, which began in 2014. For the records, Otti was overwhelmingly elected by Abia people in 2015 as their Governor. This was nationally acclaimed. It was called the “Otti Wave” in Abia. Those who subverted that mandate, and the direct beneficiaries, never enjoyed the people’s support or acceptance until they left office in 2023, because the people refused to forgive them.
Otti’s political platform, the Labour Party, fielded candidates in governorship elections in no fewer than 30 states in 2023. The 2023 “Obidient Wave” swept across those states and other parts of the federation, producing House of Assembly members, House of Representatives members, and Senators. Yet Abia was the only state that produced a Governor. Was that by accident?
In 2023, Otti became Governor with 175,467(One Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-Seven) votes.
In 2015, the same Alex Otti polled 180,882 (One Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Two) votes. Does this not speak to Otti’s enduring popularity?
The slight drop in 2023 occurred because many who voted in 2015 vowed never to vote again after their mandate was stolen in 2015. They have now vowed to turn out en masse in 2027, confident that their votes will count. Can “James Udemba” now agree that he and his sponsors are the real cowards?
On Otti’s Response to a Journalist’s Question Concerning Governor Uzodimma’s Pronouncement
Governor Otti’s response was honest and direct. This is not because he is opposed to the President’s re-election, nor because he has any issue with his brother-Governor of Imo State, but because there was no meeting where such a resolution was reached, and he was not mandated by his colleague to speak on his behalf. Is “James Udemba” so naïve as not to understand this?
Governor Otti does not engage in sycophantic politics. He recognises bold economic decisions when he sees them. For this pseudo-author to assume that Governor Otti must now endorse everything attributed to him simply because his position on subsidy aligns with current policy, despite having held that position for years, shows a staggering level of ignorance.
These needless attacks on Otti are misplaced, petty, sycophantic, and a desperate attempt to curry cheap favor from the Presidency. Shouting slogans in the media does not win votes. Quiet diplomacy, engagement, and governance that convinces the people are what is required. That is the Otti approach. Governor Otti’s public statements and positions on any matter are always measured and well thought out.
Governor Otti is an accomplished technocrat and advocate of good governance who has made it clear that he is more interested in the development of Abia State than in petty politics. His focus is governance, not political trading. Given his background as a reformer, writer, and former bank CEO, he is expected to prioritize governance over politics.
These idle, pseudo writers should stop constituting themselves into a nuisance and playing politics of bitterness. Instead of attacking a Governor who is busy delivering to his people, they should find something productive to engage themselves.
Governor Otti remains focused on his mandate: to rebuild Abia and to engage the Federal Government in a manner that benefits Abians. That engagement will be conducted with dignity, wisdom, and results — not with media tantrums or demeaning genuflection.
Finally, the idle writers and bloggers hired for cheap political distractions should remind their sponsors that every appointed or elected public office holder has a limited time to deliver good governance. We are conscious of this in Abia. Hence, Governor Otti is not interested in ridiculous political permutations and the destructive horse-trading that accompanies them.
In Abia, the people are the primary focus. Politics is secondary.
Ekeoma, the Special Adviser to Abia Governor (Media and Publicity), wrote in from Umuahia