Otti describes heavily quoted statement as “headline-induced journalistic sensationalism,” says “Obi and I have unbreakable bond”

The Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, has said the bond he shares with the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, remains unbreakable.

The backlash he got from some Nigerians following his claim in a recent interview that he would have won his governorship contest in Abia State even without Obi joining the Labour Party.

Otti ended Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s 16-year rule in the South-East state after he defeated the ruling party in a hotly-contested election on March 18, 2023.

When asked during a Channels Television programme, ‘Politics Today,’ if the former Anambra State Governor’s influence had aided his victory, the former bank chief said he had won elections in the state before.

He said, “In 2015 when I ran under APGA, there was no Peter Obi. And we have it on our record that I won that election. At the time we were joining the Labour Party, Peter Obi had not joined.

“Peter Obi is a great addition to our campaign, but I can tell you that we won an election before in Abia without him.”

“I had won election in the past without Peter Obi,” Otti was heavily quoted by many media houses.

Reacting to the development in a statement the Governor-elect describe the media reports as “headline-induced journalistic sensationalism” aimed at driving traffic and drawing needless attention.

He stated this in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

The statement read: “Obi knows and understands my personality, and knows that I hold him very high, and thus would be laughing at those that twisted my statement in a manner it would look like a denigration of him.

“That I almost lost the APGA governorship ticket in 2019 in Abia, was because I had the audacity to defend Obi publicly when I presented facts of evidence to prove that he left the money he claimed to have left behind in Anambra’s treasury while leaving office as governor. This was against the denial by the then-Anambra State government.

“Again, my Thisday Column of June 8, 2020 captioned, ‘The Triumph of Profligacy Over Prudence’ was used to celebrate Obi and his leadership style.

“As we were not in the same party then, there was no better way to prove that my love, support and appreciation of Okwute has nothing to do with politics. I’m sure he would be laughing over this report, because he’s smarter and thus understands the agenda of those circulating the distorted portion of my interview.

“Obi and I have unbreakable bond, therefore those trying to use a news headline to bury the substance of my analogical submission which was made to respond to a question and explain that, outside the massive impacts of the Obi wave, we are on ground in Abia and had won elections twice in the past; are either being misled or are outrightly mischievous.”