The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly criticized Governor Alex Otti for naming the newly constructed Umuahia Central Bus Terminal after Professor Nnenna Oti, who served as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer for Abia State during the 2023 general elections.
In a statement released on Thursday, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, expressed displeasure over the decision, describing it as a dangerous precedent that could mislead future electoral officers posted to Abia for the 2027 elections. The APC argued that the governor should have honored notable Abia indigenes who have contributed to the state’s development instead of an electoral official.
The party questioned the rationale behind rewarding favorable electoral outcomes with state-sponsored recognition, stating, “We therefore ask, when did favourable electoral outcomes begin to attract rewards and state-sponsored recognition?”
The APC firmly rejected and condemned the naming of the bus terminal after Professor Oti, calling it undeserved, provocative, divisive, and embarrassing to the people of Abia State. The party maintained that immortalizing an electoral officer over proven builders of the state was inappropriate.
Concluding the statement, the APC urged Governor Otti to reconsider and reverse the decision to name the project after Professor Oti.