The Abia State Government has urged the People’s Democratic Party PDP to abandon what it described as “outlandish and unsubstantiated claims” and to engage in constructive criticism aimed at improving governance.
The government, while responding to (PDP) review of the state’s 2025 second-quarter budget performance report, dismissed the opposition’s claims as misleading, unsubstantiated, and politically motivated.
In a statement signed by Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Media and Publicity on Sunday, the government described the PDP’s so-called “Shadow Government Review” as an illegal and baseless concept in Nigeria’s presidential system of governance.
Ekeoma recalled that in 2024, the Abia State Government warned against the creation of a “shadow government,” with the Federal Government recently reiterating its position against such formations. He stressed that any renewed attempt by the PDP to revive the idea would attract a more decisive government response.
“A political party has constitutional and electoral provisions to function as an opposition responsibly, without becoming a nuisance to the people,” the statement noted.
The government faulted the PDP for citing revenue figures without accounting for inflation and rising costs of governance. It emphasized that the current administration inherited a state where most civil servants were paid irregularly, with many receiving below the ₦35,000 minimum wage.
Governor Otti, Ekeoma said, not only implemented the new ₦70,000 minimum wage ahead of the Federal Government but also ensured prompt payment of all verified workers, including those previously classified as “non-core” civil servants.
“Civil service strength, he noted, has increased from about 30,000 under the PDP to 67,000 verified workers, excluding the 5,395 newly recruited teachers.
While the PDP claimed that Q2 IGR fell to ₦13.2 billion from ₦14 billion in Q1, the government explained that revenue collection is seasonal, with dry months yielding more than rainy months. It highlighted that Abia’s IGR in 2022 was ₦20.1 billion annually (about ₦1.7 billion monthly), compared to the current ₦4.65 billion monthly average — representing a growth of over 200% without double taxation or extortion.
Addressing concerns over ₦75 billion reportedly spent on capital projects in Q2, Ekeoma said such expenditures are visible in projects across education, healthcare, infrastructure, stadium and airport development, security, waste management, sports, and civil service reforms.
He stressed that quarterly budget performance reports do not contain full itemized breakdowns but explanatory notes, and pointed to 200 primary healthcare centers, 7 new general hospitals, multiple school upgrades, and various training initiatives as tangible results.
The government also dismissed the PDP’s debt claims as false, explaining that the increase in naira value of Abia’s external debt from ₦80 billion to ₦155 billion was due to the naira’s depreciation from about ₦460/$1 to ₦1,550/$1, not new borrowing.
Ekeoma accused former Commissioner for Finance, Obinna Oriaku, of fueling the narrative for political relevance ahead of 2027, insisting that the debts in question were incurred under the PDP’s administration.
Development partner loans such as the Nigeria for Women Project, Accelerated Nutrition Fund, and RAMP, he added, were far below the figures alleged by the opposition.
“Governor Otti will never copy PDP’s style of reckless borrowing, and whenever borrowing becomes necessary, it will be strictly for the state’s development,” the statement concluded.
