CRITICISM IS NOT THE ISSUE — DISTORTION IS.
Yes, Governor Alex Otti criticised Ikpeazu for years. That is democracy.
But let us not rewrite reality.
There is a clear difference between criticism and coordinated misinformation.
What we are seeing today is not ordinary dissent — it is:
❗ Deliberate misrepresentation of government records
❗ Politically motivated exaggeration of figures
❗ Constant attempts to discredit visible reforms
Calling every pushback “intimidation” is intellectual dishonesty.
If Abia were truly under “dictatorship”:
👉 Critics would not be posting daily attacks
👉 Radio stations would not host opposing views
👉 Social media would not be flooded with anti-government narratives
But they are — loudly, freely, and constantly.
That is not suppression.
That is democracy at work.
Governor Otti’s administration is focused on:
✔ Cleaning up public finance
✔ Rebuilding Aba and key infrastructure
✔ Driving independent power solutions
✔ Restoring governance credibility
*When a government begins to close leakages and enforce accountability, resistance will come — not always as honest criticism, but often as organized pushback from those uncomfortable with change.
Let’s be clear:
Critics are not enemies of Abia.
But falsehood dressed as activism is not accountability.
Abia is not a dictatorship.
Abia is transitioning from decay to discipline.
And that transition will be noisy.
AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke
