Abia State governor, Alex Otti, has revealed has revealed plans to recruit additional 4,000 teachers to raise the teaching workforce to 9,394.in the State’s primary and secondary schools.

The governor disclosed this during the June edition of his media chat, dubbed Governor Alex Otti speaks to Abians”, held on Thursday night at the Government House, Umuahia.

He said that the 5,394 first set of teachers already recruited would be deployed after their ongoing orientation in Aba and Umuahia.

According to him, the next set of recruitment will happen immediately after this orientation.

“We expect that the portal will be opened and applications will be received,” he said.

Otti said that the idea was to prepare the schools for the next academic session, given the massive enrollment witnessed since the introduction of free and compulsory education.

The government, in January, introduced free and compulsory education from primary one to junior secondary school.

The policy is to ensure that every child in Abia, regardless of their state of origin, had access to education up to the junior secondary school.

Otti emphasised the need to prepare and ensure quality teachers for primary and secondary schools across the State.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to continue with the renovation of schools, including the tertiary institutions.

“In addition to the renovation, we are converting 20 schools into smart schools and work is already ongoing,” he said.

The governor also spoke on the government’s activities in the health sector.

He gave assurance that the ongoing renovation of 200 primary healthcare centres across the 17 local government areas of the State would soon be completed and that most of them were ready for use.

“The type of equipment you are expecting to see in the developed countries are already in Abia and we are not opening them without equipping them properly,” he said.

Otti, who highlighted some of his administration’s achievements in other sectors, including security, road infrastructure, sanitation and others, urged the residents to join hands with the administration in building a new Abia.

The National Opposition Coalition Group, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the registration of a new political party—the All Democratic Alliance.

The application, dated June 19, was acknowledged by INEC on Friday, signalling the coalition’s determination to float a new platform instead of aligning with any existing political party.

The formation of ADA, backed by some other key political heavyweights, including former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Umar Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats and former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo, seeks to capitalise on mounting public dissatisfaction and political realignments to stop President Bola Tinubu at the next poll.

The application comes just a few days after INEC warned political groups that no amount of pressure or public sentiment would override the need for strict compliance with constitutional and electoral guidelines.

With Thursday’s application, the national opposition coalition has now put an end to weeks of speculation about whether it would revive a dormant political platform or launch a fresh one altogether.

A copy of the application letter, obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, was jointly signed by the association’s Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets, and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Elayo.

The letter partly read, “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party.

“This is a sequel to the decision taken by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor our association for full registration.

“The name of the party shall be All Democratic Alliance with ADA as our acronym and ‘Justice for All’ as our slogan.”

The coalition also submitted relevant documents, including the party’s constitution, manifesto, logo, and minutes of its foundational meetings.

The party’s symbol prominently features a maize (corn), which the applicants say represents abundance, resilience, and sustenance—core ideals they hope to promote.

“We have further attached our manifesto encompassing details of our party ideology and our constitution providing the legal framework that defines our identity, structures, and organisation,” the letter continued.

The Punch

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue, calling it a ‘political spectacle’ rather than a sincere effort to address the State’s security issues or sympathise with victims of violence.

Atiku’s media adviser Paul Ibe made the comments during a media interview in Abuja on Thursday. He accused the Tinubu administration of focusing on political drama instead of finding real solutions to the growing insecurity in Nigeria.

Ibe said: “It’s commendable when a leader empathises with the people; offering a shoulder to lean on and sharing in their grief is a mark of true leadership. However, the visit was marred by political theatrics. Children were lined up on the highway, waving at the president in the rain; subjecting them to such conditions was unnecessary.”

He also criticised the government’s failure to tackle the root causes of insecurity, pointing out that despite the deaths of over 200 people in recent attacks, there have been no arrests.

“The same security agencies that failed to prevent or investigate this tragedy were quick to tear gas peaceful protesters demanding accountability for their safety. This is unacceptable,” Ibe said.

He further took aim at the Tinubu administration’s general handling of governance, accusing it of misunderstanding the real nature of Nigeria’s security problems.

“When you misdiagnose a problem, the solution will inevitably be flawed; garbage in, garbage out. Look at the individuals heading the security portfolios: they’re politicians, not experts. They’re focused on political gains rather than the demands of their roles,” he remarked.

He stressed the importance of inclusivity in governance, arguing that the exclusion of certain regions, religions, and ethnic groups by the Tinubu government has worsened instability.

“Inclusiveness is a tool for national unity and stability. When you dismiss or alienate people, they will inevitably create chaos,” Ibe stated.

Ibe also criticised the administration’s early focus on the 2027 elections, saying it has distracted from more urgent national concerns.

“The focus on 2027 is distracting from pressing issues, leaving problems unaddressed and insecurity rampant. There’s nothing new this administration has introduced to tackle these challenges,” he added.

His comments come at a time of growing public frustration with the federal government’s response to insecurity.