Press Release
The attention of the Abia PDP has been drawn to another childish, uninformed, albeit unwarranted and I dare say usual attack on the Abia PDP by the Dr. Alex Otti’s government, because PDP decided to form a shadow government to monitor the obnoxious impunity that has descended on and reigned in Abia State in the past 19 months.
As usual, the Abia PDP will not descend to the mud with spokespersons of Abia government since they never had work to do but focus on the internal affairs of another political party. We will educate them properly on the rudiments and global best practices on good governance. The PDP understands that when you fight with a pig, you get dirty but the pig gets happy. We will not edify or make any of them happy with a response but we will educate them.
In the first place, the State Chairman of the Abia PDP and other officials were duly elected in a credible congress that speaks to what democracy is, but in their unconstrained ignorance, the Abia Governor’s media aides do not know that the State Chairman of the party is the head of the party at the state level and automatically serves as the head of the shadow government, with the deputy chairman serving as the deputy head of the shadow government.
To further buttress their idleness since Governor Otti, their principal cannot find any other road or projects done by the immediate past administration to refurbish in fanfare and employ propagandists to disseminate; they have since resorted to name calling and mudslinging. At no time were the names of Onyebuchi Ememanka, Sir Don Ubani, and Chief John Okiyi Kalu mentioned among the shadow cabinet members but one of the idle aides of the Governor found it convenient to drag them into his unnecessary fuss.
Unfortunately, Governor Alex Otti engaged media aides who have reduced governance to a skit if one of them could at this time of our political history bring a matter as serious as the 2023 Abia governorship election to a play thing of “going to Okija shrine” like a comedian trying to farm out impressions for monetary rewards. Who would blame revered and eminent Chief John Okiyi Kalu if he seeks redress because that allegation is clearly actionable. And this fellow in his usual uncensored character, surreptitiously let out that the names he dragged in are those that have given his principal and his government sleepless nights by revealing how he has squandered Abia tax payers money in the past 18 months. To these media aides and those they work for, the only thing that matters is not the welfare of Abians but the allocation and feeding bottle mentality which they keep going back to every time.
To educate these spokespersons and those that sent them better, shadow government is a practice that speaks to accountability and transparency in the conduct of governance, and is not restricted to any form of government; parliamentary or presidential. In their warped, conservative and static mind, they do not understand that governance is dynamic and keeps evolving with each passing day. In the USA, the Democrats that lost the November 5 elections to the GOP have also made arrangements to form a shadow government to check the excesses, if any that may arise in the course of the Trump GOP government, but the Trumpists and GOP stalwarts have not seen it in bad light like the “Ottis” of this clime, because they understand that it is America first, unlike here where it is their personal welfare first.
Governor Otti’s media aides should understand that their major responsibility is to showcase the good work and achievements of their principal, if any, and allow the operatives of the government party, is it LP or ZLP, whichever, to square with PDP. But we sympathise with them and understand their frustrations, and see clearly why they will be dragging responsibility with the party men, because there are no more projects done by the previous administration to claim and hype by the Otti-led government. They now have time to spy on the activities of other political parties and feed their fantasies inspired by wishful thinking.
While we allow these Otti’s aides to swim and wallow in their ignorance, we assure the good people of Abia State that a shadow government is standard practice in governance, and that Abia PDP is not forming a parallel government to Otti’s, and has not violated any laws of the land or the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our actions are within the confines of the law, and we make bold to say that we are determined more than ever to hold the Abia government to account at all times. We make that boldness with the firm belief that Abia belongs to all Abians, and not only those serving in government now. If we surrendered our individual rights to them to hold in trust for us, it is only natural that we hold them to account at all times, and there is nothing wrong in that. The moment those in government begin to fret over accountability, then the citizens should understand that there is more than meets the eyes.
I call on all good people of Abia State to ignore the vituperation of these Governor Alex Otti’s aides and support the PDP in their determination to hold the government accountable at all times.
Eric Ikwuagwu
State Publicity Secretary
ABIA PDP.
