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Abia State Governor Alex Otti has recounted how he narrowly escaped an alleged assassination attempt in Abuja in 2015, saying he believed his decision to leave the city was divinely directed.
Otti spoke on Thursday night at the Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service in Umuahia, organised by the state government with the theme, “Remembering the Covenant”.
He recalled that he was in Abuja in July 2015 while challenging the outcome of the governorship election, which was won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu.
According to him, he had planned to meet someone in Abuja, but the meeting was repeatedly postponed. After deciding to leave for Owerri the following day, despite objections from his friends, he said armed men attacked his residence that night.
“There was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri then.
“All my friends objected. I said, Well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja.
“So, to make it make sense, I told them I wanted to be at the tribunal on Friday, so they grudgingly accepted.
“That night, assassins attacked my residence in Abuja, shot two policemen dead, and they were looking for me.
“Of course, God had taken me away,” he said.
Otti said the attackers, unable to find him, moved into an adjoining compound in Maitama, where they searched the building.
“When they finished and couldn’t find me. They were convinced I was there.
“They had so much time. By the way, this was Maitama.
“They jumped into the next compound, and I learnt that they were up to 12.
“They jumped into the next compound and stripped the whole building,” he said.
The governor said the incident strengthened his conviction that his decision to serve God had sustained him through the challenges he faced in politics.
He also recalled that some friends had advised him to seek protection through traditional means before entering politics.
“A lot of friends, after trying to dissuade me, found I couldn’t be dissuaded.
“They said, Okay, if you decided to do this thing, you can’t go in there empty-handed.
“You can’t go there without belonging to some societies.
“You can’t go there without going to some native doctors for protection, and you will be shocked at the kind of people that are making these suggestions, and some of them are leaders in churches.”
Otti said he instead remained guided by the biblical injunction in Joshua 24:15: “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.”
He added that his administration would continue to pursue its responsibilities with faith and a commitment to service.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said Otti and his team had, after winning the 2023 election, observed seven days of fasting and prayer to rededicate Abia to God.
Nwachukwu said the state had returned three years later to give thanks for what he described as God’s blessings and to commit the next political dispensation to Him.
In his homily, Lead Pastor of Transforming Church International, Dr Sam Oye, commended Otti’s administration for its achievements in road infrastructure, healthcare, education, fiscal responsibility and land reforms.
Oye, however, said more work remained, urging the governor to strengthen institutions and develop industrial and agro-processing corridors across the state.
