Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has dismissed speculations about defecting from the Labour Party, insisting he will remain with the party despite plans by its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to leave the platform.
Otti stated this on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, explaining that his decision to stay in the Labour Party was driven by a commitment to help rebuild and reposition it.
The governor revealed that Obi had personally informed him of his intention to exit the party and that he had no objections to the move. However, he stressed that his own political journey would take a different direction.
Recalling that he joined the Labour Party before Obi, Otti said his membership was not tied to the former Anambra State governor. According to him, while he gave Obi his blessings to pursue his choice, he would continue to remain in the party and work towards its revival.
Otti described the Labour Party as the platform that brought him to power, noting that his loyalty, for now, remained with the party. He added that discussions about alternative political options could only arise after efforts to reposition the party had been exhausted.
Reacting to calls by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urging him to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor said he was not interested in political distractions and preferred to stay focused on governance.
He acknowledged Kalu’s recent distribution of financial support to vulnerable residents in the state, saying it aligned with his own appeal for assistance to the less privileged during the Christmas period, and thanked him for the gesture.
Quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Otti said his administration would not be sidetracked by political provocations, stressing that his focus remained firmly on delivering good governance to the people of Abia State.
Alex Ott the Governor of Abia State: you have to right to go every party.