Abia State Governor Alex Otti has recounted an alleged assassination attempt against him in 2015, saying his decision to serve God sustained him through what he described as life-threatening political challenges.
Otti spoke on Thursday night at the Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service held in Umuahia and organised by the state government under the theme, “Remembering the Covenant”.
The governor recalled the incident in July 2015, shortly after he contested the Abia governorship election and challenged the result at the tribunal.
According to Otti, he was in Abuja at the time attempting to meet an individual who repeatedly postponed their appointment.
He said that after the meeting failed to hold, he informed his friends that he intended to return to Abia the following day, despite their objections.
Otti said there was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri at the time and that he decided to leave the capital because he believed he had received a message directing him to do so.
“There was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri then.
“All my friends objected. I said, well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja.
“So, to make it make sense, I told them I wanted to be at the tribunal on Friday, so they grudgingly accepted,” he said.
The governor said gunmen attacked his residence in Maitama, Abuja, that night and killed two policemen who were on duty.
“That night, assassins attacked my residence in Abuja, shot two policemen dead, and they were looking for me.
“Of course, God had taken me away,” Otti said.
He said the attackers, after failing to find him, moved into an adjoining compound and searched the building.
“When they finished and couldn’t find me, they were convinced I was there.
“They had so much time. By the way, this was Maitama.
“They jumped into the next compound, and I learnt that they were up to 12.
“They jumped into the next compound and stripped the whole building,” he recalled.
Otti said there had been no obvious reason for him to leave Abuja at that particular time but maintained that he believed his departure was divinely directed.
“There was no reason for me not to be there, but God had taken me away from there,” he said.
The governor also recalled how some friends attempted to discourage him from entering politics, while others advised him to seek protection through traditional or spiritual means.
“A lot of friends, after trying to dissuade me, found I couldn’t be dissuaded.
“They said, okay, if you decided to do this thing, you can’t go in there empty-handed.
“You can’t go there without belonging to some societies.
“You can’t go there without going to some native doctors for protection,” he said.
Otti said his conviction remained anchored in his decision to serve God, citing Joshua 24:15, where Joshua urged the Israelites to choose whom they would serve.
He said the scripture reinforced his belief that individuals must consciously decide whom they would serve.
The governor added that the experience strengthened his conviction about the path he had chosen and that his administration would continue to pursue its programmes with faith and a commitment to service.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said Abia had experienced years of stagnation before Otti became governor.
Nwachukwu recalled that following Otti’s electoral victory in 2023, the governor and his team observed seven days of fasting and prayer to rededicate the state to God.
He said the covenant renewal service provided an opportunity to give thanks for the progress recorded and commit the next political dispensation to God.
In his homily, the Lead Pastor of Transforming Church International, Dr Sam Oye, commended Otti and his administration for what he described as milestones recorded within three years.
Oye highlighted the administration’s activities in road infrastructure, healthcare, education, fiscal responsibility and land reforms, while stressing that more work remained to be done.
Citing Joshua 13:1, the pastor urged the governor to focus on further developing the state, saying there was still “more land to possess”.
“Our vision must survive personalities, political parties and election seasons,” Oye said.
He also urged the administration to develop industrial and agro-processing corridors and strengthen institutions across the state.
The event was attended by Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, other government officials and clergymen.
It featured intercessory prayers, praise and worship sessions, ministrations and exhortations by clerics.
