The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Abia State, Chief Eric Opah, has said he chose his running mate, Dr Godswill Agu Egbe, after praying for a deputy who would not cause friction in government.

Opah also criticised what he described as inflated claims by some governors over the number of projects executed by their administrations, saying he would ensure transparency if elected governor in the 2027 election.

The APC candidate spoke on Monday while formally unveiling Egbe to party members at the APC state secretariat in Umuahia.

Explaining his choice of running mate, Opah said he did not want a deputy who would create problems for his administration, noting that he had sought the views of people who had worked with Egbe before settling on him.

“I do not want a deputy that will give me trouble. Abia State and APC would be proud of working with Dr Egbe as my deputy,” he said.

“Before his endorsement, we sampled wide opinion about him, even up to his former employer, and the positive result led to our collective endorsement of him.”

Opah said the APC ticket was prepared to contest the 2027 governorship election with Egbe, adding that his running mate had embraced the party’s vision for Abia.

He also promised to maintain transparency in the management of the state, particularly in reporting projects executed by his administration.

The candidate decried what he described as claims by some governors who allegedly declare more projects than they actually execute, including road projects.

Opah said such discrepancies, if established, would amount to a lack of transparency and promised that his administration would publish accurate figures on projects executed.

He did not name any governor in connection with the allegation.

His comments came against the backdrop of the Abia State Government’s reported claim that Governor Alex Otti’s administration had completed 414 road projects covering 864.12 kilometres across the state’s 17 local government areas.

Otti made the disclosure during a media briefing in May, saying his administration had completed the projects in its first three years. He also said another 82 road projects, covering about 212 kilometres, were under construction.

The figure has previously drawn criticism from the Abia APC, which challenged the 414-road claim and demanded evidence of the projects.

Opah, however, did not directly name Otti or accuse the governor of inflating his administration’s figures.

He said that, if elected, his government would make it possible for Abians to know the exact number of projects executed, rather than relying on inflated figures.

“We will be open and transparent in declaring the exact number of projects we will execute,” he said.

Accepting his nomination, Egbe pledged to subordinate himself to Opah and the APC, saying he would work within the vision of the governorship candidate and the party.

“I will work in accordance with the vision of Dr Opah and the APC. We are running and committed to win and also champion resounding victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

The APC state chairman, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu, expressed confidence in the Opah-Egbe ticket, saying the combination would strengthen the party’s campaign ahead of the 2027 election.

Chukwu said Egbe’s first name, Godswill, symbolised his expectation that the running mate would work in accordance with the will of the people.

The unveiling further formalised Egbe’s emergence as Opah’s running mate. Reports in September also identified Egbe as the APC candidate’s deputy governorship candidate.

Opah’s campaign has focused on issues including governance, accountability and economic development as the APC prepares to challenge the incumbent administration in the 2027 Abia governorship election.