Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has shared a harrowing experience from his past, revealing that he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in July 2015. Speaking at the "Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service" in Umuahia, Otti recounted that he had been scheduled to meet someone in Abuja, but the meeting was repeatedly postponed. Eventually, he decided to leave Abuja, despite objections from friends.
According to Otti, he had planned to attend a tribunal session in Owerri and informed his friends that he would be leaving Abuja the next day. With only one flight available from Abuja to Owerri, his friends reluctantly accepted his decision. That night, assassins attacked his residence in Abuja, killing two policemen and searching for him. Otti believes that his departure from Abuja was divinely directed, as there was no obvious reason for him to leave at that time.
The governor recounted that the attackers, numbering around 12, searched the adjoining compound and jumped into the next building, but failed to find him. They apparently believed he was still within the premises and proceeded to strip the whole building. Reflecting on the incident, Otti said that his conviction to serve God sustained him through life-threatening political challenges.
Otti also shared that some friends had tried to discourage him from entering politics, while others advised him to seek protection through traditional or other means. However, his conviction remained anchored on his decision to serve God, citing the biblical account in Joshua 24:15. He emphasized that individuals must make a conscious choice about whom they would serve.
The event, attended by Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu and other top government functionaries, featured intercessory prayers, praise, and worship sessions, as well as ministrations and exhortations by clerics. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said Abia was in captivity for years until God raised Otti, and that the governor's administration would continue along the path of faith and service.
Lead Pastor of Transforming Church International, Dr. Sam Oye, commended Otti and his team for recording milestones within three years, including achievements in road infrastructure, healthcare, education, fiscal responsibility, and land reforms. However, he emphasized that more work remained, citing Joshua 13:1, and charged the governor to outline industrial and agro-processing corridors.
The Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service was organized by the State Government, with the theme "Remembering the Covenant". The event aimed to rededicate Abia to God and commit the next political dispensation to Him. Otti's account of the 2015 assassination attempt reinforced his conviction about the path he had chosen, and his administration's commitment to faith and service.
Key points
- Abia Governor Alex Otti credits divine intervention for his survival of a 2015 assassination attempt.
- Otti recounts that he had decided to leave Abuja despite objections from friends, and that the attackers failed to find him.
- The governor's administration will continue along the path of faith and service, with a focus on achieving more milestones in various sectors.
