Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has ruled out any plans to defect from the Labour Party (LP) despite indications that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, intends to leave the platform.
Otti stated his position on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, emphasising that he would remain in the LP to help rebuild and reposition the party.
The governor revealed that Obi had personally informed him of his intention to exit the LP, and he had “no objection” to the decision. However, Otti stressed that his own political trajectory would be different.
“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 described the Labour Party as the platform that brought him to power and said his loyalty remained with the party for now.
“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 added.
The governor also reacted to recent calls by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urging him to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Otti said he was not interested in being drawn into political distractions.
“Ordinarily, I would not respond to matters like that,” he said, adding that he preferred to stay focused on governance rather than engage in political exchanges.
Otti acknowledged Kalu’s recent distribution of financial support to vulnerable people in the state, noting that the gesture aligned with his own appeal for assistance to the less privileged during the Christmas period.
“I thank him for doing that,” the governor said, while stressing his preference for a restrained and principled approach to political provocations.
Quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Otti said, “You will never get to your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks,” adding that his administration would remain focused on its responsibilities to the people of Abia State.