Abia State Government Responds to PDP’s Review of 2025 Q2 Report
Abia State Government counters PDP’s 2025 Q2 review, dismissing shadow government claims and defending its fiscal, infrastructure, and salary policies under Governor Alex Otti.
The Abia State Government has issued a strong rebuttal to the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) “Shadow Government Review” of the 2025 Q2 report, describing the exercise as baseless and misleading.
In a statement, the government dismissed the concept of a “shadow government” in a presidential system, noting that both the state and federal administrations had previously warned against such formations. It described PDP’s attempt to revive the idea as a potential trigger for stricter government action.
The PDP had alleged that rising revenues were not matched with outcomes, calling it a “disconnected fiscal reality.” In response, the government said the opposition ignored key economic realities, particularly inflation’s effect on project costs and governance.
Governor Alex Otti, it stressed, has been consistent with salary payments, implementing the N70,000 new minimum wage ahead of the Federal Government. The number of verified civil servants has grown from 30,000 in 2022 to about 67,000, excluding 5,395 newly recruited teachers.
The government explained that the slight drop in Internally Generated Revenue (N14 billion in Q1 to N13.2 billion in Q2) was seasonal, with enforcement being more effective in the dry season. It pointed out that the current monthly IGR average of N4.65 billion represents a growth of over 200 percent from 2022 figures.
Reacting to the PDP’s query on N75 billion spent on capital projects in Q2, the government said such spending is visible in infrastructure, healthcare, education, waste management, and ICT development. Projects include 200 primary health care centres, seven new general hospitals, and widespread school renovations.
The government denied allegations of new foreign borrowing worth N75 billion, attributing the reported rise in external debt from N80 billion to N155 billion to naira depreciation from ₦460 to about ₦1,550 per dollar. It accused the PDP of misleading the public, pointing out that the debts in question were incurred under previous administrations.
The government called on the PDP to adopt responsible opposition politics, focusing on fact-based engagement rather than what it termed “media relevance ahead of 2027 elections.” It reiterated that any borrowing under Governor Otti would be strictly for developmental purposes.
