Don’t Involve Tinubu In Attacks On Otti, Aide Tells Critics

Special adviser to Abia State governor on Policies and Interventions, Rev Fr  Christian Anokwuru, has cautioned the opposition against involving President Bola Tinubu while criticising his principal, Alex Otti.

Anokwuru in a statement made available to the press in Umuahia, the state capital, yesterday, said opposition should be about pointing out gaps, proffering solutions, and holding leadership accountable.

“It is expected that an opposition made up of past governors and political office holders should build their argument against a sitting government based on their own achievements in the past” the statement said.

Slamming them for relying on name-dropping of Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda, he argued  that while opposition in a democratic system is essential, it should serve as a check on power, sharpen governance, and protect public interest.

‎”However, opposition loses its moral force when it is driven by selfishness and bitterness rather than facts, and by personal resentment rather than policy-based critique.

‎”The recent posture adopted by sections of the opposition appears less like  constructive engagement and more like a coalition motivated by animosity and political survival and relevance,” he added.

‎Continuing, the statement maintained that opposition politics should be built on ideas, track records, and alternative visions, not on borrowed federal influence.

‎”When individuals who should speak from the strength of their own achievement instead lean on external executive power, it signals an absence of substance.

‎”Federal proximity cannot substitute for local legitimacy, nor can it erase the lived experiences of the people under previous administrations.”

‎He said it is ironic that in all these Tinubu had not shown support for whatever propaganda “these relevance seekers are pushing for the fact that he is aware that Otti is one of the best performing governors in Nigeria, if not the best”.

“Tinubu is not backing you; you are backing yourself with Tinubu. Hence, you are on your own. The people of Abia State state are not detached observers. They are witnesses to governance outcomes, both past and present.

‎”Unfortunately, rather than grounding their criticism in verifiable facts or offering constructive alternatives, the oppositions appear to be chasing shadows and making sweeping accusations without evidence.

‎”Constructive opposition is not about undermining government for its own sake. It is about pointing out gaps, proposing solutions, and holding leadership accountable in a manner that ultimately benefits the state,” he said.