The All Progressives Youths of Abia under the banner of Abia Youths Interest Group (AYIG) has cautioned the state governor, Alex Otti, to stop funding the presidential court case of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Otti is the only serving governor on the platform of the opposition Labour Party (LP), while Obi was the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 elections.
The Head of Media of the group, Henry Chigozie, while addressing a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, said the dangerous developments, that if not immediately checked would plunge the state into avoidable socio-political crisis and financial quagmire.
He warned that if the state governor continues funding the presidential case, it would have a negative effect on the economy, welfare and development of the state.
Chigozie alleged that the funding of Obi’s case has led to the retrenchment of about 10,000 civil servants in the state, thereby depriving Abians of the dividends of democracy.
His words: “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 3 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 nor contractors working on projects in Abia.”
On his part, the Spokesperson of the group, Dr. Stephen Ukwa, said the Labour Party-led Abia government should bear in mind that the youths of the state are watching and will resist any act that will endanger the wellbeing of Abia people.
He added, “Mr. Governor should know that Abia youths will resist any act that will cause problems between us and the President of Nigeria. We will resist any act that will endanger the lives of Abia people. So, any act that will lead to the mismanagement of Abia state fund should stop forthwith.”
“This is to continuously siphon and inflate project cost so that Mr Alex Otti can be using 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.
“That Mr Alex Otti is creating a crisis and instigating political unrest in Imo state thereby creating political instability in the South-east. By asking a sister governor to immediately write.”