The Governor-elect of Abia State, Alex Otti on Saturday said he shared “unbreakable bond” with the Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, blaming “headline-induced journalistic sensationalism” propelled by fake news for attempting to break them apart.
Otti accused journalists who don’t know the extent of “unbreakable and evergreen” closeness he shares with Obi for fanning embers of twisted relationship.
A statement by Ferdinand Ekeoma, his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) reads: “The Abia State Governor-Elect, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR says that those trying to twist his statement about having won an election in the past when he and his friend and Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi were not in the same party, do not know the extent of their relationship and virility of their bond, which he described as unbreakable and evergreen.
“Reacting to a trending report quoting him as saying that ” I had won election in the past without Peter Obi”, Dr. Otti described the report as Headline-induced Journalistic Sensationalism geared towards driving social media traffic and drawing needless controvery that would keep the promoters busy.
“According to the ex bank Chief “Peter Obi knows me, understands my personality, and knows that I hold him very high, and thus would be laughing at those that twisted my statement in a manner it would look like a denigration of him.
“That I almost lost the APGA Governorship ticket in 2019 in Abia, was because I had the audacity to defend Obi publicly when I presented facts of evidence to prove that he left the money he claimed to have left behind in Anambra’s treasury while leaving office as governor. This was against the denial by the then Anambra state government.
“Again, my Thisday Column of June 8, 2020 captioned “The Triumph of Profligacy Over Prudence” was used to celebrate Obi and his leadership style. As we were not in the same party then, there was no better way to prove that my love, support and appreciation of Okwute has nothing to do with politics. I’m sure he would be laughing over this report, because he’s smarter and thus understands the agenda of those circulating the distorted portion of my interview.
“Obi and I have unbreakable bond, therefore those trying to use a news headline to bury the substance of my analogical submission which was made to respond to a question and explain that, outside the massive impacts of the Obi wave, we are on ground in Abia and had won elections twice in the past; are either being misled or are outrightly mischievous.
“The ex bank Chief had while responding to a question on whether it was the Obi wave that made him win the election had responded that he won in 2015 and 2019, which were stolen. In 2015, his party also won close to 50% of the House of Assembly seats, an assembly that PDP had always won all the seats since 1999. He was trying to explain the need to be on ground and work hard rather than expecting victory on the wing of a wave. He also explained that when he was joining Labour Party, he wasn’t expecting the Obi wave as he didn’t know Peter was joining Labour party until a week later. These are verifiable statements of fact.”
Otti said on Thursday in an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today that “in 2015 when I ran under APGA, there was no Peter Obi. And we have it on our record that I won that election.
“At the time we were joining Labour Party, Peter Obi had not joined. It took about a week before he called me and said that he purchased the Presidential nomination form and he was coming to Labour Party.
“We were prepared to fight the way we fought in 2015. The votes we garnered in Abia could have been had but maybe the margin could have been smaller. That is why it’s always good to acknowledge Peter Obi. He came to Abia about four times to campaign for us.
“I think he had done well for us. That is why even the first election out of the eight House of Representatives seats we took six and sent some people on permanent retirement.
“Peter Obi is a great addition to our campaign, but I can tell you that we won an election before in Abia without him.”