‘Abure A Clown, Not Chairman’ – Abia Govt Slams Purported Otti Suspension

The Abia State Government has dismissed reports of the suspension of Governor Alex Otti from the Labour Party, describing the move as a “joke taken too far” and the handiwork of individuals desperate for political relevance.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to ABN TV by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, the government described the announcement by Julius Abure — referred to as the “former National Chairman” of the Labour Party — as both legally baseless and politically motivated.

Reacting to the statement made by Abure, which claimed Governor Otti and other party figures had been suspended for alleged anti-party activities, Ekeoma said the action was an affront to democracy and a calculated distraction aimed at shielding Abure from facing allegations of misconduct.

“The statement by Abure and his gang of comedians is not only a joke taken too far, but an affront on democracy by a group of inconsequential irritants who are desperate to use Governor Otti’s name to advance their self-serving economic agenda,” the statement read.

The Abia State Government maintained that Julius Abure has been stripped of his authority by a ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which recognized the formation of a National Caretaker Committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman and declared Abure unfit to continue parading himself as the party’s national chairman.

According to the release, Abure’s declaration came just hours after he was summoned by the Nenadi Usman-led committee to answer allegations of financial misappropriation, impersonation, and anti-party activities — an action the government said prompted him to retaliate with a “laughable” announcement.

“Abure decided to be smart by half by rushing to the press to announce the purported suspension of Governor Otti and other eminent members of the party,” the statement alleged.

The government urged Nigerians to disregard the announcement and called on security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take immediate action.

“We call on the Inspector General of Police to quickly arrest Mr. Abure for impersonation, while INEC should ensure full implementation of the Supreme Court judgement to preserve the integrity of the court and our democracy,” the statement concluded.