Decampment Chronicles: Governor Otti's Unyielding Stance Against Betrayers | #NwokeukwuMascot

 Opinion 

…Decampment: Bring it on if you dare by John Okiyi Kalu | #NwokeukwuMascot

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If there is one thing I appreciate about Governor Alex Otti, it is the way he treats betrayers. He operates on the time tested principle that a betrayer is a betrayer and will do to you what he did to others. 

Before his inauguration as Governor, many Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the state civil service reportedly carried official government files to his private house, which was wrong by reason of the Official Secret Act and of course service  norms, with a view to gaining advantage in his incoming government by betraying their position and others. He listened to them and subsequently dumped their files in one room in Nvosi and by the time he was inaugurated that room must have been filled with files. 

Some serving and past commssioners did the same thing. Otti listened and thanked them. In fact, one of them that allegedly wanted to be BIR Chairman literally threw caution to the wind and Governor Otti took note of all the details he brought and asked his potential Commssioner to review the details then expressed his appreciation to the betrayer. When the man left, the last time he visited Otti’s Nvosi home, Otti reportedly turned to some of his old friends in “Abia First” movement  and laughed hard, saying: “I thought some of these guys are made of better stuff than this, why can’t they just go and do other things instead of all these."

You will be shocked to read the names of PDP Chieftains (same people Otti said destroyed the state in 24 years) that sneak into Nvosi daily bearing all kinds of moonlight tales. Even me was shocked when a reliable sources provided me a list. 

Frankly, a betrayer is a betrayer and no good leader should take such people seriously, hence, I agree with Otti’s answer when he was asked on Friday if he would welcome defectors: “We are ready to welcome defectors but they cannot change the course of governance under my watch."

To the would-be defectors, that’s ominous if you can read the handwriting on the wall: “mene, mene, tekel, upharsin”. Governor Otti is saying that you are not coming to contribute positively to change the course of governance in Abia State and most probably coming for selfish reason. Do not tell anyone you are joining Otti and LP to develop Abia because the Governor has already made it clear that you are in no position to do so. 

It’s left for you to decide to give yourself some respect or not. 

Every potential defector in Abia State has been weighed on Otti’s and other balances and found wanting. It is just a matter of time before they deal with your Babylonian kingdom of betrayers. Naturally, you will be accepted into the fold and used for media optics by whoever arranged your betrayal then the wait begins for the appropriate time to give you the Judas treatment you richly deserve. 

As far as I know the only winner will be the person who paraded you before cameramen for his own political advancement. Yet I must point out that not all defectors are necessarily betrayers because politics is fluid in Nigeria and pursuing opportunities outside the collective does not necessarily mean betraying the collective. Good men also leave to join hands with others for a good cause and in Abia we know them by their before and after behavior post-decampment. .

Let us avoid the mistake of painting all defectors and would-be defectors with same brush because we have cases of necessity being the mother of invention in politics. For instance, it is understandable that another political party gave appointment to you and compelled change of membership for reasons of alignment with their manifesto. I do not think any sane person should blame you in our clime. 

If all PDP members of Abia State House of Assembly decide to decamp to LP and/or APC, it is nothing strange. But according to the “secret” political book of Alex Otti, they only have till the end of their tenure to expire completely as politicians in Abia State. There are those who have always been with Otti even when he was not in office that must be compensated first, and rightly so, in 2027. 

Any promise to give a PDP defector return ticket is what it is: a promise made in bed as 'konji' beckoned. 

There is also nobody in politics who does not know that parties send moles to others as decampees. The playbook says such moles must vehemently attack their former party and allies to gain quick trust and be invited into the inner sanctum sanctorum of a weak leadership. This is not peculiar to Abia because politics is a war game and double agents are legitimate tools. Governor Otti and his inner circle also know this. So before you start yapping “opata yarns” (nonsense) remember that that format has long expired. They know who you are and your real mission.  

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In the past, Abia politicians flow freely from one party to another in search of available political pot of porridge but I suppose  they know already that Otti will end that decisively by giving all the betrayers upper cut in 2027. Even those PDP betrayers he promised to make this and that in 2023 are still waiting and also still hanging around Abia PDP “maka adigh ama ama” but I know for a fact that Otti can only use them again if he has real political challenge in 2027. After that, he will happily discard them again. 

As a political party, Abia PDP has natural recourse to Section 68(1)(g) and section 109(1)g of the constitution to help betrayers enjoy what they bought with their Judas coins. Otti and APC will handle the rest. I don't think the party should lose sleep or beg anyone not to decamp. 

Yet politicians must remember what it took to give them party ticket and also ensure they are elected. It wasn’t just about Mr Politician but also many others who supported you and your platform even without taking anything from you.  How do you thing they will feel when you wake up and say you have decamped? 

It beats me how people can’t see what is clearly before them. Those in Abia LP and APC are crying of lack of patronage and you want to join them when you can actually be better than them. If the problem of the PDP House members is money beyond  the over N3.5m they receive monthly, they should actually come together and become a much more formidable force that will compel the Governor to look their way and even patronize them more than the LP legislators. Are there no leaders and thinkers among them?

If not for selfishness, as a steadfast group, Abia PDP lawmakers can attract literally every patronage they want from Otti by remaining independent and strongly fighting for the people that sent them there. 

Decampment of a legislator is also an insult to voters and I hope our people are watching and ready to do the needful in 2027. If you decamp from the party that sent you to the house that should mark your end as a legislator at all cost and by all means. Personally, this is one agenda I am ready to help Governor Otti achieve across the state and I won’t be alone at that time because there are many already queuing up to take those seats. 

I congratulate all those LP and APC politicians who are using  former PDP members for photo-ops. Keep using them because they submitted to be so used whereas they are ordinarily bigger and better than their users. 

As you make your bed so you will lie on it and if a man respects himself others will respect him. I have nothing against any decampee because in our Nigerian environment there is needless fluidity in political party membership. Go where you think you will find what you are looking for but do not say I didn’t warn you about the traps and consequences. Even now you know what I am saying is right and that it will surely happen, but you may wish to decide to beat an early return to base or regret later. Either way, e no concern me.

Honestly, our people must see this as a period of sacrifice for all the past patronage they got from PDP in Abia State. Otherwise, Bye bye….byeeeeeeeee!!!

-Nwandugbom JOK is the voice in the wilderness