Earlier this year, in January, I wrote an article titled, The Kinky Confederation of Abia Trinity (Part 1). My authorial intent was to write Part 2 shortly thereafter, but as I observed the digital landscape, I chose to pause.
As hinted in that article, in politics, horse-trading is a reality, and I did not want to push narratives that might inadvertently spoil the market. Furthermore, I have watched with a curious blend of amusement and concern as the internet space became flooded with vitriol against Dr. Alex Otti, countered by some very inorganic defenses. As the saying goes, Christianity will suffer more from its weak defenders than from its open assailants. Draw a parallel, and you will see that in governance too, a poor defense is often more damaging than a direct attack.
Having seen the sheer volume of these attacks, I made a personal decision not to throw stones at every barking dog. With elections still far on the horizon and the opposition field yet to take a definitive shape, in other words, I do not even know the particular candidates contesting from the opposition, I decided to retire to write the evolution of Abia politics. This will be a compendium and a definitive tool that will put to rest the arguments of critics once and for all.
However, while I had resolved to maintain a studied silence until my book is publicly presented, I find it hard to restrain myself from responding to the recent aspersions cast by my brother, Michael Sunday Chima, regarding Dr. Uche Ogah’s support for Governor Alex Otti.
Before I proceed, I must commend Brother Michael. It takes a certain level of courage to put pen to paper and express such strong political views, knowing full well that public discourse brings both knocks and thumbs-ups. For that reason, Chima’s effort is noted and appreciated.
However, his argument reveals a narrative built more on feelings and party bias than on the actual political realities of Abia State.
It must be addressed right away that support for good governance is not betrayal. It was evident in the article that the crux of Michael’s grievance is Dr. Uche Ogah’s alignment with Governor Alex Otti, which is rather unfortunate. In an era where some are venomously preoccupied with scheming to undermine the current administration, Dr. Ogah has chosen to stand behind a leadership colossus who is, beyond all reasonable doubt, delivering results. If what it takes to be an APC member is blindness to progress when it is achieved by another party, then politics has lost its soul.
That Dr. Uche Ogah is commending the excellence of Dr. Alex Otti does not in any way amount to double-mindedness, but rather a highly commendable patriotic duty.
While Brother Michael is questioning Ogah’s loyalty to the APC, democratically it is within the ambit of the law for any citizen, former Minister or otherwise, to support candidates who serve the people’s best interests. Political parties should be vehicles for service, which has been proven so in the case of Dr. Alex Otti, and not cages that restrict men’s conscience. Respect and support for President Tinubu and Alex Otti are not mutually exclusive for a man who prioritizes Abia’s development over partisan politics and unnecessary warfare.
I may be wrong, but the 2031 Fallacy suggests an innocent naivety. To brazenly claim that Dr. Uche Ogah is selling a birthright for a seat nearly a decade away defies logic. Before 2031 even enters the conversation, Dr. Otti will seek the consent of Abians to continue his work in 2027; when 2031 finally arrives, many aspirants will emerge. If Dr. Uche Ogah chooses to throw his hat into the ring then, he will do so on his own merit. To accuse him of feathering his nest now, simply because he acknowledges that the Governor is performing, is a serious mark of disrespect.
My brother Chima painted a picture of an unstable man in Dr. Uche Ogah, yet nothing can be more stable than a leader who refuses to join the devouring cycle of traditional politics.
Dr. Ogah is supporting good governance, not a personality cult. Rather than an unstable man, it takes a rock-solid, strong-willed, and single-minded person with a backbone to praise and support a rival party’s governor when that governor is an embodiment of results, fixing roads and paying salaries.
Conclusively, predicting a political obituary is a tired trope. I see an appreciable level of wisdom among Abians; they have been to the Dr. Alex Otti school of leadership and have tasted good governance, even though the best is yet to come. They are wiser now than before and can distinguish between partisan sycophancy and genuine patriotism.
Dr. Alex Otti is performing, and that is the simple truth Uche Ogah is voicing. It will do us a whole lot of good if we stop these baseless predictions and focus on the progress being made today. Let 2031 take care of itself; for now, let us support the hands that are building the new Abia, as well as encourage his supporters like Dr. Ogah.
Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah is not desperate to be governor, and if God has willed it for him, in vain do we labor to stop him. Presently, he is being both daring and cautious by supporting the rave of the moment in Abia, Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR.
Alas! We are Pilgrims.
Pastor/Comrade Uche Nwokeohuru JP
14th April 2026.
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