Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, sparked controversy during his monthly media chat in Umuahia on Friday, when he verbally rebuked journalist Chika Nwabueze of the BON media group. The incident, captured in a viral video, occurred during the February edition of the governor’s live broadcast engagement with journalists, broadcast to residents of Abia state and beyond.

Nwabueze had posed a question to Governor Otti, asking for concrete, quantifiable evidence and verifiable data to demonstrate how his administration's policies, implemented since May 2023, had tangibly improved the economic conditions and living standards of Abia residents. The journalist emphasized the need for data beyond visible infrastructure projects such as road rehabilitation, acknowledging the praise received for such initiatives while highlighting critics' concerns about transparency and inclusive governance.

Governor Otti dismissed the question as