Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, has accused activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore of hiding behind the cause of Nnamdi Kanu’s release to pursue a hidden personal agenda, describing his recent visit to Abia as a publicity stunt.
In a lengthy statement issued on Monday, Ekeoma responded to a series of attacks Sowore launched against Governor Otti following a protest the activist staged in Aba last week.
Sowore had claimed the protest was aimed at demanding the release of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. However, shortly after leaving Abia, Sowore began making negative comments about Governor Otti, dismissing his administration as a failure and criticising what he called “half transformation.”
Ekeoma said his office initially chose not to dignify Sowore’s outburst, viewing his sweeping declaration that “Otti is a failure” as an intentional jab designed to generate controversy.
However, after Sowore granted a follow-up interview where he doubled down on his claims and introduced further distortions, Ekeoma said it became necessary to set the record straight.
The aide began by addressing Sowore’s description of Governor Otti as his “friend.” While acknowledging that Sowore was correct to describe Otti as a friend, Ekeoma questioned the activist’s understanding of friendship, noting that Sowore had referred to Otti as “some guy there” in his interview.
“Friendship entails respect and honesty. Given Sowore’s controversial political and activism life, he must have trusted Otti very well before he slept in his house and ate his food when he campaigned in Abia in 2019”, Ekeoma said.
“The question Sowore needs to answer is: does this your ‘friend’ know where you live?”
Ekeoma also dismissed Sowore’s claim that Otti used to maintain a column on Sahara Reporters and used that platform to attack serving governors. He clarified that the only media platform that had Otti as a columnist was Thisday Newspapers, and that Sahara Reporters merely syndicated Otti’s articles as originally published by Thisday.
He further noted that Otti’s columns never attacked any governor but were instead focused on critiquing national political and economic policies while proffering solutions on an issue-by-issue basis.
The aide also accused Sowore of fabricating a private conversation in which the activist allegedly warned Otti that he would “come after him” if he failed to perform as governor.
While Ekeoma said there would have been nothing wrong if such a discussion had actually taken place, he insisted it never happened and accused Sowore of misleading the public to portray himself as a principled friend doing his job with professionalism.
On the issue of journalistic standards, Ekeoma rejected Sowore’s claim that he does not compromise standards, arguing instead that it is Governor Otti who refuses to compromise.
He pointed to a February 20 incident this year when Sowore used Sahara Reporters to publish a false story claiming that the postponement of Abia APC congresses was because Otti had concluded plans to join the All Progressives Congress.
Ekeoma said Sowore had no evidence for the story and never spoke to Otti or his aides to verify the facts before rushing to publish falsehood. He disclosed that Governor Otti subsequently sent Sowore a private message reminding him that using his platform to publish falsehood would bring his credibility into question.
He questioned why Sowore staged the protest in Aba when Nnamdi Kanu is from Umuahia, the state capital. He recalled that Operation Python Dance, which Governor Otti was at the forefront of condemning in 2017, took place in Umuahia, making the capital a more symbolic location for a protest demanding Kanu’s release.
He also noted that just last month, the family of Nnamdi Kanu held a memorial service in honour of Kanu’s late parents at their home in Afara Ibeku, Umuahia, yet Sowore did not deem it fit to visit their home during his trip to Abia.
“Why didn’t Sowore consider going to Sokoto where Kanu is being incarcerated to protest?” Ekeoma asked, suggesting that the activist’s choice of Abia was driven by motives other than securing Kanu’s freedom.
Ekeoma also questioned why Sowore resorted to attacking Governor Otti within hours of leaving Abia instead of briefing Nigerians, particularly Kanu’s supporters, on the outcome and impact of the protest. He described the timing as suspicious and indicative of a premeditated strategy.
He further challenged Sowore to explain why he could not have chosen a different date to quietly conduct an in-depth investigation into Governor Otti’s performance so as to be armed with necessary facts before declaring the governor a failure.
Ekeoma also raised the possibility that Sowore’s visit to Abia without the courtesy of informing his governor “friend” was an intentional strategy of provocation that backfired.
“Could it be that Sowore came to Abia to incite violence and breakdown of law and order with a view to serving some hidden external political agenda, but felt angry and disappointed that Governor Otti outsmarted him by providing maximum security cover and ensuring that no one was harassed?” he asked.
On Sowore’s claim that Governor Otti was upset because people came out to receive him, Ekeoma dismissed the remark as a delusion of grandeur, stating that it simply confirmed Sowore was in Abia for a publicity and popularity stunt rather than to genuinely call for Nnamdi Kanu’s release.
“If he doubts, let him come and campaign in Aba when he picks his presidential form, and see the difference between using Nnamdi Kanu’s name as a cover and coming as Sowore,” he said.
Ekeoma also denied Sowore’s allegation that Governor Otti paid influencers in Lagos to criticise him. He said if Otti had paid any influencer, Sowore would have known, suggesting that deep down the activist knew he was lying to himself.
“Just to further help him, it’s important to remind Sowore that Otti has no paid influencers and is not looking for influencers to pay. Abians and Nigerians love him and are proud of what he is doing in Abia, hence they have collectively chosen to be his influencers and spokespersons,” Ekeoma stated.
On the issue of “half transformation,” Ekeoma noted that Sowore had inadvertently acknowledged seeing some transformation during his few hours in Aba, with his only complaint being that Governor Otti had not achieved full transformation in two years and ten months.
He reminded Sowore that Governor Otti had never claimed to have transformed Aba or Abia State as a whole, as the governor has consistently stated that development is a process and that much work remains to be done.
“We cannot apologise to Sowore if he is angry and embittered that the Abia masses and Nigerians are praising and celebrating Governor Otti free of charge for the things he has achieved so far,” Ekeoma said.
He concluded by advising Sowore to beat a wise retreat, warning that arrogance and a sense of invisibility worn like an expensive apparel can be dangerous and destructive, especially when aimed at advancing a self-serving cause that hurts the people and harms their future.
“Whatever his agenda is, he is obviously targeting the wrong person and needs to beat a wise retreat,” Ekeoma said.
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