There are fears of imminent implosion in the Abia State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) as Governor Alex Otti has been accused of hostility towards the leadership and members of the party.
Governor Otti is also said to be at war with opposition leaders in the state who supported and worked for his victory during the March 18 governorship election.
Before his inauguration, the 58-year-old stated that he was not ready to work with known political names in the state, including members of his party, a position that he made manifest in some of the appointments he has made so far.
Sources in LP who accused the governor of running the state as a sole administrator disclosed that Otti appointed key members of cabinet including his chief of staff, secretary to the state government and special advisers without the input of the state party’s leadership.
Most recently is the list of the 19 commissioner nominees submitted to the Abia State House of Assembly, which he allegedly did with no input from LP state leadership and some of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and All Progressives Congress (APC) members, on whose support he rode to victory.
It was exclusively gathered that when the two federal lawmakers from Isiala North and South local government areas respectively, Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Senator representing Abia Central) and the member representing Isiala Ngwa North/South in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe; who were both elected on the LP platform, told Otti the damage his action was having on Abians and the party, the government reminded them that they rode on his popularity to win their elections.
Otti was said to have gone ahead to tell both federal lawmakers that he was not ready to work with them; that they should concentrate and mind their businesses in the National Assembly and forget about the state.
A source within the government disclosed that to the chagrin of some PDP, APGA, and APC chieftains who supported Otti against their party candidates, Otti refused to honor recommendations made by them.
According to multiple sources, the former MD of the defunct Diamond Bank ignored nominations by the family of former Governor Theodore Orji.
A commissioner nominee from Orji, Prof Udochukwu Ogbonna and Danny Ubannie popularly called Manja who was nominated by Sen. Darlington were outrightly rejected by Otti.
The was said to have also ignored nominations that came from Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chief Uche Ogah, and Prof. Greg Ibe.
Otti also snubbed his Abiriba-born financial backers including Bourdex Onuoha and refused to nominate any commissioner from the community.
He also snubbed the house member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia, Chief Obi Aguocha who recommended his In-law Aham Uko as commissioner.
It was also gathered some former commissioners including former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Hon. Umeh Kalu, former Commissioner for Works, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, former Commissioner for Youth Hon Dannie Ubani, former Commissioner for Finance Hon. Aham Uko, and Lagos-based lawyer Monday Ubani who had lobbied to be included in Otti’s cabinet were notable names alleged to have lobbied to be appointed but were ignored by Otti.
Meanwhile, members of LP in the state are complaining about what they described as non-inclusion of those that worked for the party’s victory in the state.
