The Abia State Government has again debunked a viral social media claim alleging that Governor Alex Otti instituted a lawsuit against the Federal Government at the “World Court” over the approval of a proposed cargo airport in Aba.
Describing the report as entirely false and fabricated, the state said the allegation first surfaced last year and was publicly refuted at the time, but has resurfaced in recent days across social media platforms.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, said there was no truth whatsoever to the claim, stressing that Governor Otti had neither approached nor petitioned any international court against the Nigerian government on the matter or any other issue.
Kanu said the narrative was deliberately concocted to mislead the public and inflame sentiments.
“At no time has the Abia State Government contemplated, let alone initiated, any international litigation on such matters,” the statement read.
He noted that matters relating to aviation infrastructure approvals in Nigeria are clearly governed by established national regulatory and administrative frameworks, making the claim not only false but illogical.
The commissioner further dismissed claims that the governor had accused the Federal Government of marginalisation or genocide before any international body, describing such assertions as reckless propaganda.
“The suggestion that a sitting governor would bypass constitutional processes to accuse Nigeria of marginalisation or genocide before an imaginary ‘World Court’ exposes the desperation and irresponsibility of the authors of this falsehood,” Kanu said.
He also refuted claims that Otti had alleged that Igbos were being denied rights or targeted in Lagos, insisting that such statements were never made and were invented to stoke ethnic tension.
“The claim that Governor Otti made such allegations is a wicked lie calculated to inflame ethnic sentiments and create unnecessary tension,” he added.
Kanu said Governor Otti remains committed to national unity, lawful engagement and constructive collaboration with federal authorities, rather than “sensationalism or ethnic blackmail.”
He described the resurfaced report as part of a coordinated smear campaign by political opponents unsettled by the administration’s governance record.
“Having failed to counter performance with facts, they have now resorted to crude fabrication and outright lies,” the statement added.
The state government urged the public to disregard the report and advised media practitioners to verify information from credible and official sources before publication.
It also warned that it reserved the right to take action against individuals or platforms deliberately spreading falsehoods capable of undermining public peace.
Kanu said Governor Otti remains focused on rebuilding Abia State through due process, strategic engagement with relevant federal authorities and the pursuit of development projects that benefit the people of the state and the country at large.