Independence: Nigerians must reject vote-selling, primordial sentiments — Otti

UMUAHIA — Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has urged Nigerians to reject vote-selling, political lethargy and primordial sentiments, saying the country’s future depends largely on citizens making responsible choices at the ballot box and participating actively in governance.

Otti made the call in his 2026 Independence Day broadcast on Thursday, warning that Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources alone could not guarantee development without citizens and leaders prepared to put in the work.

He said Nigerians must embrace the duties of citizenship by voting, participating in social and political conversations, paying taxes, obeying laws, rejecting corruption and pursuing excellence in their various endeavours.

According to him, “the pursuit of progress shall remain an illusion if majority of us continue to stay away from the ballots, sell our votes or vote on primordial sentiments.”

The governor said although Nigeria had recorded significant achievements since independence, persistent challenges including poor infrastructure, poverty, unemployment, limited access to education and healthcare and insecurity remained concerns, particularly as millions of young Nigerians continued to leave the country in search of opportunities abroad.

He, however, said the challenges should not lead to despair, urging citizens to channel their frustrations into legitimate efforts to demand better governance and contribute to national development.

Otti said Nigerians must accept that they were all stakeholders in the Nigerian project, irrespective of political affiliation, religion, occupation or place of origin.

He condemned dishonesty, mediocrity, greed, nepotism and clannishness, saying such practices fuel corruption, institutional inefficiency and developmental setbacks.

On democracy, the governor noted that Nigeria had remained on the democratic path for 27 years, describing the continuity as significant given the political setbacks of the country’s early years.

He said the strength of democracy lay in the opportunity it offered citizens to determine who governed them, urging Nigerians to insist on capable leadership at every level of government.

“The philosophy of hiring the best hands for the job should apply to every public position in contest,” Otti said.

The governor also commended security personnel for their sacrifices in confronting insecurity and acknowledged the contributions of teachers, health workers, civil servants, artisans, traders, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, farmers, scientists, artists, sportspeople and other Nigerians contributing to the country’s development.

He urged Nigerians facing difficult circumstances not to give up, saying perseverance remained critical to overcoming the nation’s challenges.

Turning to Abia, Otti thanked the people for their support and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the state’s socioeconomic transformation.

He pledged that the security and welfare of Abians would remain a priority, while urging citizens to remain vigilant in protecting the gains of democracy and freedom.

“The fruits of yesterday’s struggles can only be sustained by the collective vigilance of our generation and those coming after us,” he said, warning that complacency could create opportunities for those seeking to undermine the freedoms Nigerians had fought to secure.