PDP Questions Credibility, Quality Of Abia Opposition Coalition Against Gov Otti

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed serious doubt about the abilities of the Senator Orji Uzor Kalu-led Coalition of opposition forces to serve as a credible alternative to the incumbent Governor Alex Otti.

The PDP said Abians will not be swayed by a Coalition formed solely to oppose an incumbent, without a solid foundation rooted in manifest credibility and unassailable quality of candidates on offer.

The Party’s position is coming against the backdrop of the recent  convergence of past political office holders ,under the aegis of Abia State Executive , National and State Legislative Members with the aim of  meaningfully challenging the Governor Otti’s administration in the state come 2027.

The Forum which comprises past Governors, their Deputies National and State Assembly members, members of the State’s Executive Council, and other political appointees between 1999 and 2023 ,at its  emergency meeting on Friday January 9 2023 at the country home of former Governor Theodore Orji , resolved among others things to work assiduously to enthrone an APC administration at all levels in Abia state and Nigeria as a whole.

It equally threatened to initiate a legal challenge seeking to compel Governor Otti to halt the use of his private residence as the official seat of power in the State.

Specifically, the Coalition vowed to oust the Governor Otti-led administration in Abia state in 2027.

But in a statement issued on Sunday January 11,2025 by its  Chairman, Elder Abraham Amah,  and made available to this Magazine, the Abia State PDP insisted that only a coalition built around credible and quality individuals, with impeccable trajectories has the potential to oust the incumbent.

Anything to the contrary, the party insists, is akin to further popularizing the incumbent unsolicitedly.

According to the Abia PDP , the electorate with a strong intuitive sense of leadership and direction are bound to interrogate the quality of candidates to determine whether or not they align with their lived realities and aspirations.

“The Abia State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic party PDP has taken note of the increasing public discourse around the formation of a Coalition aimed at challenging Governor Alex Otti in the 2027 Governorship election.

” While political realignments are a normal feature of democratic competition ,it is important to situate this conversation within the true expectations and political consciousness of the Abia electorate.

“Our considered position is clear. Coalitions by themselves do not determine electoral outcomes. What Abians are truly interested in is not the arithmetic of alliances or the number of political tendencies converging under one banner ,but the identity, credibility, competence and vision of the individuals who will bear the ticket of such a coalition.

“Elections are ultimately contests between people and ideas, not mere platforms or arrangements among elites. The decisive question for voters will be simple and profound: who is the Governorship candidate, and what does he or she represents?

“From a political and philosophical perspective , legitimacy in governance flows from trust, character and the ability to inspire confidence in the future.

“Abians will not be swayed by coalitions constructed solely to oppose an incumbent . They will interrogate the records, values, temperament ,and governing capacity of any challenger presented before them.

“History has repeatedly shown  that a weak or uninspiring candidate , even when backed by a broad alliance , often ends up strengthening the position of the incumbent rather than diminishing it” Amah stated.

According to the PDP, politics operate not only in the realm of structures and strategies, but also in the deeper currents of public mood, symbolism and timing.

The party noted that Abia electorate possess a strong intuitive sense of leadership and direction, and are attentive to whether a candidate understands their lived realities, align with their aspirations ,as well as is morally and intellectually prepared to shoulder the burden of governance.

While calling for the elevation of the discourse beyond coalition-building to the more substantive issue of leadership quality and vision for Abia State, the PDP warned that the future of the state will not be decided by how many parties unite against one man, but whether an alternative leadership can convincingly demonstrate that the state will be better governed under its stewardship.

” Any coalition that fails to produce a candidate who resonates with this consciousness risks remaining an elite project disconnected from popular will”, the PDP added.