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Abia State government has clarified that Governor Alex Otti’s visit to President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday was focused entirely on matters relating to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Special Adviser to Governor Otti on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, made the clarification in a statement on Thursday.
The statement was a response to allegations by a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Charles Ogbonnaya, who claimed that Otti met with the President to discuss a possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to the governor’s aide, Otti’s engagement with President Tinubu was simply a continuation of ongoing efforts to secure Kanu’s release and had nothing to do with political realignments.
“In continuation of Governor Otti’s efforts aimed at securing Kanu’s release, the Governor subsequently had a meeting with the President after visiting the IPOB leader at the Sokoto Correctional Centre on Sunday, November 30 2025. This is in continuation of earlier meetings the Governor had been having with the FG on this matter in the past two years.
“The issue of Kanu was the only subject matter that took Governor Otti to Aso Rock and to the Glory of God, the meeting was both positive and fruitful, as the President was so gracious and generous,” Ekeoma said.
The governor’s aide explained that responding to Ogbonnaya’s allegations had become necessary because the matter of Nnamdi Kanu’s release is both sensitive and central to the concerns of the Abia State government, making it important to dispel misinformation.
He added that the former commissioner’s repeated criticisms of Governor Otti were rooted in lingering political resentment dating back to Otti’s exit from Ogbonnaya’s party during the 2023 general election.
Channels Television reported that Governor Otti on Tuesday evening visited President Tinubu at the State House Abuja.
Governor Otti had recently visited Kanu at the Sokoto prison, where the IPOB leader is serving his sentence. He was accompanied by Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu; the Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN); and his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.
He has also affirmed his commitment to pursuing all legitimate avenues to secure Kanu’s release.
