The Mayors of the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia State have denied a publication circulating on social media, purporting that they have concluded plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress at the end of their tenure in office.
It was alleged that the mayors, appointed by Governor Alex Otti last year, wanted to leave the Labour Party because he did not allow them to contest in the forthcoming November 2 Local Government election.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Abia State Chapter, Elelenta Nwambuisi Elele, Mayor of Isialangwa South LGA and ALGON Secretary, Chief Eric Achi Egwuibe, Mayor of Obingwa, and fifteen other mayors, the group stated that there is no iota of truth in the news story.
They added that a meeting purported to have been held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by the 17 mayors, where the alleged decision to defect to the APC was taken, was just a figment of the “news peddler’s” imagination.
The statement read, “To clarify once again, there was never a time when mayors were sacked by Chioma ndi Abia, Governor Otti.
“The authors of the publication have exhibited a complete lack of knowledge of the laws of the land, knowing fully well that Governor Otti is a staunch advocate of democratic and legal norms.
“The outgoing 17 mayors were invited by His Excellency to assist in rescuing our state and to lay a solid foundation for effective and efficient local government administration in the state.
“There was never a time any agreement whatsoever was brokered to railroad them into elected chairmen. It is therefore fallacious to simulate deceit for a process that has successfully met the provisions of the extant laws of Abia State.”
The statement added, “The mayors are busy joining hands with Governor Otti in taking Abia closer to the desired destination of becoming a model state, while preparing for a seamless handover to the incoming chairmen, and will not allow themselves to be distracted by unfounded social media rumours.
“We are aware that there are desperate politicians lurking around to see whom they can devour. Fortunately, the present crop of mayors are not mercantile politicians and are therefore not transactional in their quest to serve the people of Abia State.
“We are indeed grateful to His Excellency for the opportunity given to us to serve, and we pledge our unwavering support to him in the delivery of the Abia project.”
