Otti is whipping up sentiment with alleged assassination attempt-Abia govt
Abia State government has debunked the claim by the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Alex Otti, that there was an attempt on his life in his private guest house in Abuja.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Godwin Adindu in a statement made available to newsmen said Otti was merely trying to whip up sentiments to attract the sympathy of the security agencies and the electoral tribunal to his disastrous petition, adding that his lamentation is the cry of a drowning man.
It will be recalled that Otti had, last Friday, in Umuahia addressed a press conference where he alleged that his private guest house in Abuja was attacked and a policeman attached to the guest house killed by unknown gunmen.
According to Adindu, his enquiries with the Force Public Relations Officer (FPPRO), Mr. Emma Ojukwu, revealed that the incident did not exactly take place at Otti’s guest house neither was the policeman of the Special Protection Unit(SPU) killed in Otti’s residence.
“I have spoken with the Force PRO, Mr. Emma Ojukwu and he confirmed to me that there was an attack in the Maitama area of Otti’s private guest house, but that the attack was not exactly at his residence and that the policeman killed was not killed in his residence,” Adindu said.
The CPS disclosed that the FPPRO also confirmed that some houses were attacked but not the guest house of Otti, adding that the APGA guber candidate was not even around at the time of the incident, adding:"The Force PRO was firm that the attack was not targeted at Otti and was not targeted at his guest house".
Adindu further disclosed further that the FPPRO confirmed that the policeman was killed in the building housing NESTOIL, which is a totally different compound from where Otti’s guest house is located.
He said Otti’s claim is part of his grand plan to influence the tribunal through “emotional pressure” to move the sittings to Abuja, adding that all his clandestine moves are already well know to the PDP in Abia and will be thoroughly checkmated.
He accused the APGA guber candidate of indulging in diversionary tactics to whip up sentiments and move attention away from the main issues at tribunal, adding that he has seen the handwriting on the wall, that his petition is “irredeemably disastrous” .
Adindu reiterated that Abia has been relatively peaceful and that there has been adequate security coverage for the tribunal and the temporary residence of the officials, stressing that the police has not had any challenge in providing security to necessitate any contemplation of relocating the sittings which is the grand plan of Mr. Otti.