By IHECHINYERE CHIGEMERI-UWOM

Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has said that his visit to the leader of the Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in Sokoto Correctional Centre was not driven by political ambition.

Otti spoke on Friday, when the leadership of the Abia Diaspora Commission and the medical team of the Abia Global Medical Mission 2025 visited him at the Government House, Umuahia.

He was reacting to a video circulating on social media, where a certain man was criticising his visit to Kanu.

The governor defended his visit to the IPOB leader, saying that the trip was driven by the need for dialogue and peace.

He said that the video represented differing opinions, which formed part of the democratic system, arguing that disagreement did not automatically make one position right.

Otti also said that he had no intention of contesting any election after completing his tenure as governor.

He said: “One of the issues he raised in the video was my ambition after serving as governor.

“I have said this before, sometime in October, when we received representatives of the President, and I will say it again today.

“By the time I complete my tenure as governor, I will retire from public office.

”I have no presidential ambition, no vice-presidential ambition, and no senatorial ambition.

“I came into this office on a mission and when I deliver that mission, I will step aside and give room to younger people.

Otti dismissed speculation linking his actions to an “Igbo presidency,” describing such arguments as unfounded and based on false assumptions.

“So when he speaks of an “Igbo presidency,” I honestly do not understand what he means.

“If his argument is based on that assumption, then it has already collapsed, because you will not see my name on any ballot; but my children can contest, and your children can contest.

“It is important to know when to quit.

“When you have completed your assignment, you clear the way for others.

“We have seen people who, after serving as governor, still want to become local government chairmen

“That is not who we are and we are not cut out for such things,” the governor said.

He further said that he initiated discussions at the highest level about the IPOB leader’s situation two years ago.

Otti also said: “The second issue concerns Nnamdi Kanu, and I do not want to put too much into the public space so as not to jeopardise ongoing discussions.

“The truth is that exactly 24 months ago, I initiated discussions at the highest level regarding Nnamdi Kanu, so visiting him was the right thing to do because he is from my state and indeed, from Umuahia North Local Government Area.”

He reiterated his condemnation of Operation Python Dance, saying that he had publicly criticised the military operation in past writings.

Otti said that while Kanu’s matter was before the courts, there was also room for administrative intervention.

He argued that dialogue did not amount to support for Nigeria’s disintegration.

“There are always ways to solve problems and I do not believe that ignoring a problem is a solution.

“I had written extensively about Nnamdi Kanu and Operation Python Dance in 2017 or 2018, I condemned it and I still condemn it.

“Some recordings used in the video cannot be verified by me.

“For instance, where it was claimed that Nnamdi Kanu called for mutiny – I cannot vouch for the authenticity of that.

“However, I do know that two wrongs do not make a right.

“When an issue has been approached legally, there is also an administrative window and that is where I am coming from.

“I am not competent to challenge the judiciary. I am not a lawyer.

“If the court has sentenced him, that is the decision of a court of first instance.

“There is still room for appeal and even a possible journey to the Supreme Court,” he said.

The governor said that he had consistently opposed violent agitation, arguing that conflicts inevitably ended on negotiation tables rather than battlefields.

He said, “I have never seen a war that did not end in negotiation.

“So, why start a war when you will still end up talking?”

Otti said that his negotiation effort focused on intervention for peaceful resolution, not support for Nigeria’s disintegration.

According to him, complex issues were best resolved through dialogue.

“We may not all agree, but strong arguments can change minds and I have always believed that it is better to sit across the table and talk than go to war.

“I am an apostle of dialogue, not war and it would be insensitive for me to sit here and say that one of our own, who has been convicted, should die when there is an opportunity to negotiate and pursue peace,” he said.

He also said that the critic’s argument in the video was based on a wrong premise.

Otti further spoke on the prevailing security challenges across the country.

He warned that insecurity had been exploited by criminal elements to attack innocent people, saying that his administration would firmly confront violence, while pursuing peace responsibly.

“We will continue to do everything possible to ensure peace in this state.

“There are parts of this country, where you cannot come out freely at this time of the day and that is not acceptable.

“I also know that some people take advantage of the current situation to unleash violence on our people.

“As I have told those I am negotiating with, if we have peace here and anyone brings violence, we will meet them firmly; but we must act responsibly as a government,” he said.

The governor affirmed his commitment to ensuring safety and stability in Abia, saying the state must remain secure for residents and businesses.

He urged stakeholders to support dialogue-driven solutions, adding that peace is essential for development and progress in the state. (NAN)

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