Labour Party Speaks on Rumours of Governor Otti’s Planned Defection to APC

The Labour Party leadership has dismissed rumours that Governor Alex Otti of Abia is planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

Rumours had been circulating about five first-term opposition governors, including Otti, planning to defect to the APC. The other governors mentioned were Peter Mba of Enugu, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, and Umoh Eno of Akwa Ibom. However, Ifoh assured that Otti has no intention of leaving the Labour Party.

Ifoh described the rumour as “farther from the truth,” stating that the party is in touch with Governor Otti, who has assured them that he is not going anywhere ahead of 2027.

The national publicity secretary noted that defection from one political party to another is not unusual in democratic settings. However, he insisted that the rumour about Otti’s defection has no substance.

“The courts have come up several times to make interpretation as regards Section 84 of the 1999 Constitution and many people who had defected at one time or the other had been challenged in court.

“So, if five governors are planning to defect, it won’t be a new thing, as it had happened in the past,” he said.

“We are good in Labour Party and our governor is with us, and we are hoping that by 2027, we will have more governors in our fold,” he added.