No Law Compels Governor To Operate Only From Govt House — Gov. Otti [VIDEO]

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has declared that there is no legal provision mandating a sitting governor to operate exclusively from the Government House, insisting that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific place of residence or official duty post for a state chief executive.

Governor Otti made the assertion while responding to questions during a media parley in Umuahia, amid criticisms and threats of legal action by some of his predecessors and their loyalists over his decision to temporarily operate from his private residence in Nvosi.

The governor said he was unfazed by the threats and challenged those behind them to proceed to court without delay, adding that his legal team was fully prepared to defend his position.

“I am waiting to be sued. My lawyers are ready. I have looked at the Constitution, and there is nowhere it says I must live in a particular place,” Otti stated.

Otti explained that his decision was informed by the poor state of facilities at the Government House, which he said had been left in a deplorable condition by previous administrations.

According to him, the Governor’s Lodge and a new office complex within the Government House are currently undergoing reconstruction to restore the facility to a befitting standard.

“The state in which they left the Government House speaks for itself. I don’t owe anybody an explanation,” he added.

The controversy follows recent statements attributed to former Abia State governors, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Theodore Orji, and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and their supporters, who reportedly threatened to initiate legal action to compel Otti to relocate fully to the Government House in Umuahia.

Political observers say the governor’s stance underscores a broader debate over constitutional interpretation, governance norms, and the condition of official state facilities, as the Abia State Government continues efforts to rehabilitate key infrastructure inherited from past administrations.