Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has directed security agencies to give political parties equal access to public venues for their 2027 campaign activities, signalling that opposition parties will not require special clearance to campaign across the state beyond the stipulated procedures and fees.
Otti gave the directive during the monthly State Security Council meeting in Umuahia, where preparations for the 2027 elections formed part of discussions on the security situation in the state.
The governor instructed that any political party seeking to organise a campaign should receive prompt approval from the relevant security authorities, provided it meets the approved requirements for the use of public facilities.
The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Wilfred Afolabi, disclosed this while briefing journalists alongside the governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah (rtd.), after the meeting.
According to Afolabi, the governor specifically tasked security agencies with ensuring a level playing field for all political parties as electioneering activities intensify ahead of 2027.
“He told us clearly that all he wants is for us to create a level playing field for all,” the police commissioner said, adding that the directive for prompt approval of campaign requests had simplified the security agencies’ responsibilities.
Otti’s position also covers the use of stadiums and other public facilities, with parties expected to pay the approved charges before accessing the venues.
Ubah said the arrangement was intended to prevent political differences from becoming a source of tension, describing the governor’s approach as “politics without bitterness.”
He said parties that comply with the stipulated fees and other requirements would be allowed to conduct their campaigns without interference.
The security adviser, however, warned that the administration’s openness to political activities would not amount to tolerance for conduct capable of disrupting public order.
He said individuals who attempted to exploit campaign activities to cause violence or breach the peace would be dealt with according to the law.
Afolabi also said the security agencies were preparing for the electioneering period, pointing to a recent three-day regional police retreat in Imo State attended by senior police officers, governors and other stakeholders.
He said the security agencies, with the support of the Abia State Government, were committed to ensuring that campaigns and the eventual elections were conducted without violence
