The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti has stated that he does not need to leave the Labour Party (LP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to get closer to Aso Rock.
Naija News reports that there have being speculations that Otti might be planning to dump the LP following the ‘tsunami defection’ that took over the Peoples Democratic Party’s age-long structure in Delta State.
During their official reception ceremony, former Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, said he and his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, joined the APC to connect Delta State to Aso Rock, the seat of power.
However, speaking in an interview with Arise Television, Otti stated that he does not need to defect to the APC to get closer to the seat of power.
When asked if he needed to decamp to get close to the centre like Okowa and Oborevwori did, Otti said, “I am even closer to the centre than some of them.
Meanwhile, Otti, has accused former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of withdrawing ₦10 billion to build airport from the state’s account.
Naija News reports that Governor Otti said his administration found out about the money through an audit.
In an interview with Arise News, Otti alleged that Ikpeazu commissioned an uncompleted government house building.
According to him, the former Governor committed fraud against the state.
“What happened was that my predecessor commissioned an uncompleted building on the 28 of May. And it’s supposed to be new government house. So what did he do, he completed the ground floor, finished it very well, put Italian furniture in the place, painted it and commissioned it.
“After inauguration, I went there. When I looked at the ground floor, I was very happy. I went to the first and second floors, they were not even plastered, no sanitary fittings, nothing. That’s fraud,” he said.
When asked if he would probe him, he stated that it would be a distraction. The Labour Party Governor noted that he has only four years to govern and has much to do.
He, however, stated that his government wants the former Governor to return the ₦10 billion he withdrew for airport or give the airport.
“You have only four years. And when you get into some of these distracting things, you lose focus. I have too much work to do.
“Probing him is.. of course we called KPMG at some point. They looked at one of the accounts. They found that some ₦10 billion was withdrawn for a non-existent airport. So that’s the only one that we’re saying bring back our money or give us the airport,” he stated.
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