Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has dismissed speculation about his possible defection from the Labour Party, stating that he will remain with the party despite reported plans by its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to leave the platform.
Otti made the clarification on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, explaining that his decision to stay was driven by a commitment to help rebuild and reposition the Labour Party.
The governor revealed that Obi had personally informed him of his intention to exit the party. While he expressed no opposition to Obi’s decision, Otti stressed that his own political journey would take a different direction.
“If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not join the party with him. He has communicated to me that he is leaving the Labour Party. I gave him my blessings. But I will remain in the Labour Party, and I told him that I would continue the struggle to rescue the Labour Party,” Otti disclosed.
He further described the Labour Party as the platform that brought him into office, noting that his loyalty to the party remains intact.
“That is the party that brought me to power. If we fight and get to the end, and we are able to reposition the Labour Party, then we can discuss other options. Therefore, for now, I am not defecting to any party,” he said.
Otti also responded to recent calls by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who had urged him to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The governor said he had no interest in engaging in political distractions.
He, however, acknowledged Kalu’s recent distribution of financial support to vulnerable residents in Abia State, noting that the gesture aligned with his own appeal for assistance to the less privileged during the Christmas season.
