The Mayors from the 17 local governments of Abia state have denied a report that they are set to defect to the All Progressive Congress, APC after being sacked by Governor Alex Otti describing the report as fallacious and unfounded.
The Mayors in a statement jointly signed by Hon. Elelenta Nwambuisi Elele, Mayor Isialangwa South LGA and Chairman Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Abia State Chapter on Wednesday, stated that the Mayors were never sacked by the Governor.
According to the outgoing 17 LG Mayors, they were invited by the Governor to assist in rescuing the state and lay a solid foundation for effective and efficient local government administration in the state.
They denied entering an agreement with Governor Otti to railroad them into elected Chairmen.
The statement read, “The attention of the eminent Mayors of Abia State has been drawn to some malicious viral social media news under the Headings:
“Outgoing Abia LG Mayors set to defect to APC after being sacked by Governor Otti. Deconstructing the Mayors as a new Abia Trade Unionist.
“We the Distinguished Mayors of the 17 Local Governments of Abia State wish to assure men of goodwill and the good people of Abia State that there is no iota of truth in these concocted news items.
“That a meeting was held in Port Harcourt by the 17 Mayors was just at the hazy imagination of the news peddler, perhaps at the sponsorship of his masters who are daily becoming politically uncomfortable with the towering local and international image of Dr Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, the transformative and God sent Governor of Abia State.
“To strengthen the records more and again, there was no time Mayors were sacked by Chioma ndi Abia, Dr Alex Chioma Otti, OFR
“The authors of these publications have exhibited an utter lack of knowledge of laws of the land knowing fully well that His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Otti, OFR is a sticker to democratic and legal norms.
“The outgoing 17 Mayors were invited by His Excellency to assist in rescuing our state and lay a solid foundation for effective and efficient local government administration.
“There was never a time any agreement whatsoever was brokered to railroad them into elected Chairmen. It is therefore fallacious to simulate deceit for a process that has successfully met the provisions of extant laws of Abia State.
“The Mayors are busy joining hands with His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, in taking Abia closer to the desired destination of a model State, while preparing for a seamless handover to the incoming Chairmen and will not allow themselves to be distracted by unfounded social media rumours.
“We are aware that desperado politicians are lurking around to see who to devour. Fortunately, the present crop of Mayors are not mercantile politicians and therefore not transactional in their quest to serve the people of Abia State”.