The Abia <\/a>State Government has accused opposition politicians of trying to create a rift between Governor Alex <\/a>Otti and President Bola Tinubu <\/a>for political gain.<\/p>\n In a statement on Sunday by the governor\u2019s Special Adviser on Policies and Interventions, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, the government alleged that former governors and past political office holders were plotting to challenge the leadership of Otti.<\/p>\n The accusation comes amidst reports that three former governors, now in the APC, were allegedly plotting to unseat Otti and dislodge the Labour Party from power in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.<\/p>\n Anokwuru warned that the growing reliance on President Tinubu\u2019s name by opposition figures to attack the Otti administration amounted to \u201cforced enmity\u201d and deliberate misrepresentation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen former governors and past political office holders, whose records are still fresh in the collective memory of Abians, congregate to challenge the leadership of Dr Alex <\/a>Otti, the public is entitled to interrogate not just their claims, but also their credibility,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n He criticised the opposition\u2019s strategy of anchoring its attacks on the federal government\u2019s \u201cRenewed Hope\u201d agenda rather than on verifiable facts or alternative policy ideas.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything about your supposed criticism against Dr Alex <\/a>Otti\u2019s administration is resting on \u2018Renewed Hope\u2019. It is expected that an opposition made up of former governors should build arguments based on their own achievements, not by name-dropping President Bola Tinubu,\u201d<\/em> Anokwuru stated.<\/p>\n He urged opposition figures to abandon what he described as politics of vendetta and personal bitterness, stressing that attempts to pit Otti against Tinubu <\/a>would fail.<\/p>\n \u201cStop forcing enmity between Alex <\/a>Otti and President Bola Tinubu; it cannot work because their friendship is beyond politics,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n Anokwuru noted that while opposition remains vital in a democracy, it loses moral authority when driven by selfish ambition rather than constructive, policy-based criticism.<\/p>\n \u201cMore concerning is the heavy reliance on the perceived might of President Bola Tinubu <\/a>as the backbone of the opposition. Federal proximity cannot substitute for local legitimacy, nor can it erase the lived experiences of the people under previous administrations,<\/em>\u201d he added.<\/p>\n He further dismissed claims that the opposition enjoyed the backing of the President, insisting that Tinubu <\/a>had shown consistent goodwill towards the Abia <\/a>governor.<\/p>\n \u201cThe irony is that President Bola Tinubu <\/a>has not shown support for whatever propaganda these relevance seekers are pushing. The president knows that Dr Alex <\/a>Otti is one of the best-performing governors in Nigeria and has continually shown support for his administration,\u201d<\/em> Anokwuru said.<\/p>\n