How God Saved Otti from Assassination

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State shared his political journey on Thursday night. He said his faith in God helped him through dangerous political challenges.

Mr Otti spoke at the "Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service" in Umuahia. The event was organized by the Abia State Government with the theme, "Remembering the Covenant."

He described a serious attack he called an "assassination attempt" against him.

Mr Otti recalled a friend's reminder about his political journey, especially an event in July 2015 that could have taken his life.

He explained how he contested the 2015 governorship election. He went to the tribunal to challenge the result that went to the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Mr Otti was in Abuja trying to meet someone. The person kept changing the meeting dates, and it never happened.

He decided to tell his friends he would leave Abuja the next day, even though they disagreed. He said the meeting was not happening.

"There was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri then."

He added, "All my friends objected. I said, well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja."

To convince them, he said he wanted to be at the tribunal on Friday. They reluctantly accepted his plan.

That night, assassins attacked his home in Abuja. They killed two policemen and searched for him.

"Of course, God had taken me away," he said.

Mr Otti said the attackers thought he was still in the house. They began searching the neighboring compound.

He said, "When they finished and couldn’t find me, they were convinced I was there. They had so much time. By the way, this was Maitama."

He learned that there were about 12 attackers. They jumped into the next compound and searched the entire building.

Looking back, Mr Otti said there was no good reason for him to leave Abuja at that moment. Still, he believed his departure was guided by God.

"They thought I jumped first, but I left. There was no reason for me not to be there, but God had taken me away from there," he explained.

He also shared how some friends warned him against going into politics. Others suggested he seek protection through traditional means.

Many friends tried to dissuade him, but he remained firm in his decision. They told him, "You can’t go in there empty-handed. You can’t go there without belonging to some societies."

Some even suggested going to native doctors for protection. Mr Otti was shocked that some of these people were church leaders.

Despite this, he held on to his faith in God. He recalled the biblical story in Joshua 24:15.

He said: "But then, I’m always reminded about Joshua 24:15, where Joshua said to the Israelites that ‘If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you would serve.’"

He added, "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord."

Mr Otti said the lesson from the scripture is that everyone must choose whom they will serve. He encouraged those who have not made that decision to do so.

"If you don’t understand why you are here, this is why you are here. If you have not taken that decision, it’s not too late, because there is no other power," he said.

Mr Otti concluded that this experience strengthened his belief in his path. He promised that his administration would continue to serve with faith.