The Abia State Government has dismissed a trending report on social media claiming that Governor Alex Otti said he would make Lagos “look like a village.”
The viral post had quoted Otti as saying, “I have no business with Lagos, I am not competing with Lagos. My competition is China and Dubai. By the time I’m done with Abia, Lagos will look like a village.”
Reacting to the claim, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, described the report as false, malicious, and the handiwork of frustrated political opponents.
The governor’s aide said the statement was fabricated to mislead the public and create unnecessary tension between Abia and Lagos residents.
According to Ekeoma, Governor Otti is not known for making divisive or arrogant remarks, stressing that such words do not reflect the governor’s personality or values. He added that Otti maintains a long-standing cordial relationship with the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and would never make any comment capable of straining that bond.
“Given the relationship which has become an unbreakable bond that has existed between Governor Otti and his brother Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for decades, speaking to the Governor directly off camera on any subject matter is one of the easiest things to do,” Ekeoma noted.
However, the Abia government also accused the authors of the viral publication of being the same group of “desperate politicians” who allegedly wrote petitions and inciting articles when they heard that President Bola Tinubu was scheduled to commission projects in Abia State.
As of press time, there has been no verifiable evidence to back the claim circulating online, and the government has urged the public to disregard the story entirely.
