Abia PDP Condemns Governor Otti’s Alleged Insult of Journalist

The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed serious concern over an exchange between Governor Alex Otti and the Group News Editor of Don FM Umuahia, Mr. Chika Nwabueze, during the Governor’s media chat on Friday.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Abraham Amah, the PDP condemned what it described as the public insult of Nwabueze for asking a legitimate question about data and measurable outcomes of government policies affecting the lives of ordinary Abians.

“The constitutional role of the media is to ask questions on behalf of the people. There is nothing improper, offensive, or unintelligent about a journalist requesting empirical evidence of governance outcomes. Such questions lie at the heart of responsible journalism and democratic accountability,” the statement said.

The party added that responding to legitimate inquiries with personal attacks undermines public discourse, erodes confidence in leadership, and signals intolerance for accountability. “An attack on a journalist for performing this duty is an affront not only to the individual concerned but also to the media organization he represents and to the people of Abia State,” the PDP noted.

The party called on Governor Otti to respect press freedom and urged him to provide verifiable data to the public for proper accountability.

Responding to the matter, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku, argued that Nwabueze should have assessed the tangible impact of the Governor’s performance, citing the recently rehabilitated Ohokobo-Afara Road in Umuahia, which Njoku said benefited the journalist’s community.