Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has given a gripping, first-hand account of how he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja in July 2015, crediting what he described as divine intervention for his survival. The governor spoke on Thursday night, September 24, 2026, at the "Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service" held in Umuahia, the state capital, an event organised by the state government under the theme, "Remembering the Covenant". The service, attended by Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, senior government officials, clerics, and other stakeholders, was convened to rededicate Abia State to God ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Otti's account was detailed and vivid. He recalled that after the 2015 governorship election, in which victory was awarded to the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu, he had gone to the tribunal to challenge the result. While in Abuja for a meeting that kept being postponed, he told his friends he would leave the city the next day. His friends objected, but he insisted. "I said, well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja," Otti told the congregation. "So, to make it make sense, I told them I wanted to be at the tribunal on Friday, so they grudgingly accepted". That night, assassins attacked his residence in Maitama, Abuja. They shot two policemen dead and searched the premises for him. He was not there. "Of course, God had taken me away," he said.
The attackers, according to Otti, were not satisfied. Convinced he was still hiding somewhere on the premises, they jumped into the adjoining compound and ransacked the entire building. "They had so much time. By the way, this was Maitama. They jumped into the next compound, and I learnt that they were up to 12. They stripped the whole building," he recounted. Reflecting on the incident, the governor said there had been no logical reason for him to leave Abuja at that particular time. "There was no reason for me not to be there, but God had taken me away from there," he said.
Otti's decision to serve God, he said, was not a path chosen lightly. He recounted how friends and associates tried to dissuade him from entering politics, and when they realised he could not be dissuaded, they advised him to seek protection through traditional means. "They said, okay, if you decide to do this thing, you can't go in there empty-handed. You can't go there without belonging to some societies. You can't go there without going to some native doctors for protection," Otti said. He noted that he was "shocked at the kind of people that are making these suggestions, and some of them are leaders in churches". His conviction, he said, remained anchored on the biblical account in Joshua 24:15, where Joshua declared, "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord".
The Solemn Assembly was not just about Otti's personal testimony. The Coordinator of the event and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said Abia State had been in captivity for many years until God raised Otti to rescue it, which necessitated the rededication. He recalled that after securing electoral victory in 2023, Otti and his team observed seven days of fasting and prayer to rededicate Abia to God. The event was also seen as a spiritual preparation for the 2027 elections, with organisers framing it as a necessary step to keep the state in the hands of God rather than "fetish idols and evil societies".
The governor's testimony has drawn attention to the often-overlooked intersection of faith and politics in Nigeria. While the country is deeply religious, the political arena is frequently characterised by violence, intimidation, and the pursuit of power through any means. Otti's account of refusing to seek protection from native doctors, despite pressure from people he respected, and his reliance on his Christian faith, presents a stark contrast to the prevailing political culture. His survival of the assassination attempt, and his eventual election as governor in 2023, are presented by him as evidence of divine providence.
The assassination attempt itself was not an isolated incident in Otti's political journey. He has previously spoken about the challenges he faced, including legal battles and political opposition. But the 2015 incident, in which two policemen lost their lives, remains the most dramatic and personal. Otti did not provide further details about the identity of the attackers or whether anyone was ever arrested or prosecuted for the attack. The focus of his speech was on his faith and his belief that God spared his life for a purpose.
For the people of Abia State, the Solemn Assembly was a moment of spiritual reflection and a reaffirmation of the governor's commitment to governance rooted in religious principles. For Otti himself, it was an opportunity to share a story he has carried for more than a decade, a story of escape, faith, and the conviction that his political journey was divinely ordained. As the state prepares for the 2027 elections, the governor's message was clear: his covenant is with God, and it is that covenant, he believes, that has kept him alive to serve.
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