As the scheming for the 2027 governorship election in Abia state hots up, members of the Abia State Amalgamated Traders Association
( ASMATA ) have been urged to register and obtain their Voters Card that would qualify them eligible to vote for their chosen/endorsed guber candidate.
The directive came on the heels of the growing Supporting and Opposing Coalitions for and against the re-election of governor Alex Otti for second term in 2027.
Three past governors of the state namely Senators Orji Uzor Kalu and Theodore Orji both of the APC , and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu recently joined the state Opposition APC to plot against Otti’s return to office in 2027.
In a press release credited to the ASMATA President General (PG ) , Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, it was disclosed that Abia traders decried ” the convergence of the Senator Orji Uzor Kalu-led Abia opposition Coalition under the aegis of ” Forum of Former Executive , National and State Legislative Members” with the aim of ousting Governor Otti from the state’s seat of power in 2027″ .
According to the release , while Abia traders and business community would not allow or support any scheming that amounts to political subterfuge , grandstanding and blackmail by past political buccaneers under any so-called Coalition that can derail the wheel of transformative governance being experienced in the state under the leadership of Governor Alex Otti, ASMATA
expressed readiness and unflinching commitment towards ensuring the success of the re-election bid of governor Otti in 2027 .
While dismissing the Opposing Coalition as the shameless gathering of agents of underdevelopment and darkness , urging Governor Otti not to be distracted by their orchestrated antics, the said press release stated ” Abians having seen the light under less than two and a half years of Otti’s administration , are not in a hurry to go back to the years of unmitigated misgovernance and mismanagement of state resources under the so-called Coalition promoters .
It described the Coalition as the gathering of spent forces, only out to seek relevance and rehabilitation ,after 24 years of mismanaging Abia resources.
” We want to make it clear that Abia traders , business community and in deed the overwhelming majority of Abians are sincerely happy with the administration of His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Otti for giving us hope after over two decades of gross misgovernance and mismanagement of Abia state resources .
” We feel insulted when those behind the several years of suspension of development and ruination in Abia state , rather than apologizing to the people , are now grandstanding to the extent of imprudently assuming the role of the ” decider of the fate of the Abia state and its citizens
” We condemn and reject in its entirety ,the move by the so-called Coalition promoters to drag Abia state back to the period of darkness by way of shamelessly gathering against someone whom God has assigned the task of setting Abia state free.
” Much as we concede that democracy thrives under free speech and association , we however warn against any deliberate act aimed at reminding the people ,the inglorious years of the looters of Abia patrimony .
” We consider it as a deliberate act of provocation ,for the so-called Coalition elements to threaten to abort the new Abia dream ,after pillaging the state for 24 years”, the release further stated.
According to the release too, Abia traders , members of the business community and the generality of Abians are ever ready to protect the ongoing transformational processes in the state , using their only known power- the Permanent Voters Card PVC come 2027 .
” Our advice to the so-called Coalition promoters is for them to just withdraw to their shelves and allow the ongoing transformational processes in Abia state to go on unhindered .
” But ,if they insist on trying to truncate our dream as a people , we will let them understand that Abia state has since moved , and that no amount of the gathering of agents of darkness will take us back to Egypt.
” We therefore use this opportunity to assure the people’s Governor, Dr Alex Otti that Abia traders , business community and all men and women of goodwill are solidly behind him, and urge him ( Governor Otti ) not to be distracted by the unholy gathering of any coalition under any name so-called , because they have already failed in their evil plans of aborting the people’s mandate”, the release concluded.
REPORT BY GORDI UDEAJAH
