Reverend Samson Okoro Elekwa, a Baptist cleric from Arochukwu Local Government Area, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other opposition parties in Abia State to close ranks and present a formidable candidate to challenge Governor Alex Otti in the 2027 governorship election.
Elekwa, speaking on Sunday, accused the Governor of running what he described as “a government of propaganda, lies, and deceit.”
He cited the recently released Abia State Q2 2025 financial report which showed that the state received ₦114 billion in revenue between April and June, averaging ₦38 billion monthly, alongside ₦278 billion in capital receipts and grants. He questioned why such huge inflows have not translated into tangible development across the state.
He alleged that the administration has little to show for the ₦75 billion it claimed to have spent on capital projects in three months, noting that Abians are being served “façades and photo opportunities” rather than real progress.
According to him, “with that kind of money, Abia should be witnessing landmark projects, but instead we see old buildings repainted and presented as new health centres, inflated road contracts, and ICT training being classified as capital expenditure.”
The cleric also raised questions over the much-publicised revival of Star Paper Mill, describing it as another opaque deal. He wondered why government should pay off AMCON debts and retool the factory with public funds, only to hand it over to private operators without clear acquisition terms, ownership details, or independent audits.
“This risks being another white elephant, where the people bear the cost while private interests reap the gains,” he said.
On Otti’s other flagship projects, Elekwa said there is no clear explanation on how ₦54 billion was spent on the so-called smart school renovation project.
He lamented that Abians are yet to see the schools, the ICT centres, or the hospitals the administration claimed to have transformed, insisting that “the only thing visibly expanding today is Signature Bank.”
He further faulted the Governor’s claim of 24-hour electricity supply in Aba, calling it a lie, and dismissed his assertion that only the late Michael Okpara ever intervened on the Arochukwu-Ohafia road.
“It is dishonest to erase the efforts of other administrations just to score cheap political points,” he noted.
Reverend Elekwa warned that Governor Otti will ultimately be remembered as a one-term governor who “used ₦4 billion to construct a kilometre of road.”
According to him, Otti is even worse than the politicians he once criticised for corruption and waste.
The clergyman concluded by stressing that only a united opposition can rescue Abia in 2027. “The APC and other opposition parties must bury their differences and rally around one strong candidate. Abians deserve a government that is people-focused, not one built on deceit. If we fail to unite, we would have failed the people.”
