Abia Hotel Demolition Deepens Tensions as Otti Administration Faces Fresh Allegations of Witch-Hunting Opposition | #NwokeukwuMascot
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The political climate in Abia State continues to heat up as the demolition of Abia Hotels in Umuahia by the Alex Otti–led administration has triggered widespread condemnation, with multiple opposition figures alleging a systematic campaign of intimidation and suppression of dissent.
According to an insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, the rift between the hotel and the state government intensified after the facility hosted the monthly meeting of the Renewed Hope Partners, a prominent support group loyal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The source claimed the government’s decision to demolish the facility shortly afterward was “punitive and clearly politically motivated.”
Further investigations revealed that the hotel’s owner, Mr. Randy Ukanwoke, is currently bedridden in a United States hospital. Despite his medical condition, his attorneys are reportedly being “manipulated,” as the matter remains pending before a competent court of jurisdiction. Even more troubling, eyewitnesses report that the demolition team has not permitted anyone to retrieve even a pin from the building before bringing it down. Critics say this raises serious concerns about executive overreach and blatant disregard for due process.
In a related development, concerns over political intolerance in the state were heightened last week when the monthly meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Obingwa was disrupted by operatives of Operation Crush, a joint security outfit inaugurated by the state government. Witnesses alleged that the officers stormed the meeting venue and ordered party members to disperse, insisting they were acting “under orders from above.”
This incident has been widely condemned as another attempt by the government to weaken organized opposition structures.
Public affairs analyst Peter Nwagbara noted that these incidents form part of a growing pattern. Earlier in the week, he added, the government sealed the campaign office of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Umuahia. Nwagbara described the series of actions as “a coordinated pattern of witch-hunting aimed at silencing opposition voices and shrinking democratic space in Abia.”
As public outrage grows, the Abia State Government has yet to make a formal statement addressing the allegations. Opposition groups, civil society organizations, and concerned residents warn that the trajectory of events in the state is increasingly reminiscent of authoritarian tendencies and calls for urgent intervention to safeguard democratic freedoms.


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