Some All Progressives Congress (APC) youths, under the aegis of Abia Youths Interest Group (AYIG), have accused the state governor, Alex Otti, of funding the presidential court case of Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi.
Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election, is challenging the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Otti, a former bank chief, is the only serving governor on the platform of the opposition Labour Party.
Addressing a press conference at the weekend, leaders of the AYIG claimed that if the governor continues funding the presidential case, it will negatively affect the state’s economy, welfare and development.
A speech read by the head of media, AYIG, Henry Chigozie, said the alleged funding of Obi’s case has led to the decrease of about 10,000 civil servants in the state, thereby depriving Abians of the dividends of democracy.
Chigozie, however, failed to provide any evidence to back up his claim.
He said: “We, the Abia Youths Interest Group, a National Umbrella Body of all progressive Youths of Abia irrespective of political affiliation, have observed with dismay the following dangerous developments that if not immediately checked, will plunge our dear state into avoidable socio-political crisis and financial quagmire:
“That Mr. Alex Otti is funding the Presidential Court case of Mr Peter Obi with Abia money, leading to massive retrenchment and sacking of citizens, thereby depriving Abians of the dividends of democracy.
“So far, in less than three months, over 10,000 Abia workers have been retrenched. This is unacceptable.
“In Otti’s Abia, transparency and accountability have been relegated to the background. No one knows the costs of projects or contractors working on projects in Abia.
“This is to continuously siphon and inflate project costs so that Mr Alex Otti can use Abia funds to sponsor Labour Party operations across Nigeria in his nefarious desire to destabilize the progressive government of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.”
