Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State and chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, visited Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, and stated that the visit was not politically driven.
Just three days had passed since Henry Ikoh, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and an ally of Uzodimma, had visited Otti and commended him for his progress in Abia State.
Speaking to reporters following the visit, Uzodimma brushed off suggestions of political scheming, characterizing it as a cordial New Year’s courtesy call in keeping with the occasion.
Regardless of party allegiance, Uzodimma stated that South-East governors were dedicated to cooperating for the region’s development.
“So, I’m here as a courtesy call to the Governor, who I’ve also noticed is doing really well,” he stated.
“I prayed with him and wished him a happy New Year so that the Almighty God would give us the strength to keep serving our people in an ever-improving manner. I am here for that reason.
He emphasized that cooperation amongst the governors was essential to regional development.
“We in the South East are committed to the region’s development. And cooperation is the only way we can accomplish this,” Uzodimma stated.
“As the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, it is my duty to communicate with them, engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, and reach a consensus on the best ways to support the survival of the local population.”
He went on to say that the governors worked together to maintain the South East’s strong integration with Nigeria.
“The five of us, Governors of the South East, have decided to make sure that the South East is part of Nigeria,” the governor declared. And we are focusing on it.
In addition to being the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in the South East, Uzodimma praised Otti for what he called “good governance in Abia State.”
Governor Otti responded by thanking Uzodimma for the visit and rejecting claims that it was motivated by politics.
“We are all politicians, so there is no way we can’t talk about politics, even though this is not necessarily a political visit,” Otti stated.
However, I believe that the most significant takeaway from his remarks is that there is only one government. There are three types of governments: national, subnational, and municipal.
He advised against conflating opposition with party differences.
“If you are a member of a government, you cannot be the opposition. Therefore, people miss the mark when they confuse a political party’s problem with resistance, he said.
“There are forums for dissent, and you are free to disagree. However, you become an integral part of the choice once it has been made.
Otti emphasized that the visit was merely to share goodwill for the New Year and reiterated that Abia State is still a member of the federal system.
As the sole governor elected on the Labour Party platform, Otti has continued to draw interest from a number of political parties looking to court him.
Senator Adolphus Wabara, a former president of the Senate and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s board of trustees, allegedly tried to get Otti to join the PDP.
Attempts to woo the governor of Abia have also been connected to the APC and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Otti, however, has vowed time and time again that he stays in the Labour Party, stating that he would only think about leaving if the party’s leadership crisis became irreversible.
Former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim accompanied Uzodimma on the trip, and other cabinet members and Pastor Caleb Ajagba, the chief of staff of Abia State, were also there.
