Alex Otti Recalls Alleged 2015 Assassination Attempt, Says God Saved Him

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has recounted how he narrowly escaped what he described as an assassination attempt in Abuja in 2015, saying his faith in God sustained him through the challenges he faced while pursuing a career in politics.

Otti spoke on Thursday at the Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service in Umuahia, organised by the state government with the theme, “Remembering the Covenant.” The event was held to rededicate the state to God and renew its covenant ahead of another electoral season.

The governor recalled that the incident occurred in July 2015, after he had contested the Abia governorship election and gone to the tribunal to challenge the result that produced Peoples Democratic Party candidate Okezie Ikpeazu as governor.

According to Otti, he had been in Abuja waiting for a meeting that was repeatedly postponed. After the meeting failed to hold, he told his friends that he intended to travel to Owerri the following day, despite their objections.

“There was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri then. All my friends objected. I said, well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja,” Otti recalled.

He said he eventually left Abuja and later learnt that gunmen had attacked his residence in the Maitama area that night. According to his account, the attackers shot two policemen who were at the residence and searched the premises for him.

“That night, assassins attacked my residence in Abuja, shot two policemen dead, and they were looking for me. Of course, God had taken me away,” he said.

Otti said the attackers, whom he estimated to number about 12, searched the building and later moved into an adjoining compound after failing to find him. He said the incident strengthened his belief that his decision to leave Abuja that night had been divinely directed. Contemporary reports of the governor’s speech also carried his account of the incident.

The governor also recalled that some friends had tried to discourage him from entering politics, while others advised him to seek protection through traditional or spiritual means. Otti said he instead remained committed to serving God, citing Joshua 24:15 and its message about choosing whom to serve.

He said the experience reinforced his conviction about his chosen path and that his administration would continue to pursue its responsibilities with faith and service.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said the state had returned to God in thanksgiving after what he described as years of challenges. He recalled that the Otti administration organised seven days of fasting and prayer after its 2023 electoral victory and said the latest gathering was intended to renew that commitment.

In his homily, Lead Pastor of Transforming Church International, Sam Oye, commended the administration’s reported progress in areas including roads, healthcare, education, fiscal responsibility and land reforms, while stressing that more work remained to be done.