Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has ruled out any plan to defect from the Labour Party (LP), declaring that his full attention is on governance and the consolidation of the mandate freely given to him by the people of Abia State.
The Governor made this known on Tuesday during the December edition of the Monthly Media Parley, tagged “Governor Otti Speaks,” while responding to questions from journalists over widespread speculations surrounding his political future following the exit of the Labour Party’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Addressing the growing rumours, Governor Otti clarified that his political journey within the Labour Party predates that of Peter Obi, noting that he was duly informed ahead of time about Obi’s decision to leave the party.
According to him, despite being aware of Obi’s move, he made a conscious decision to remain in the party and continue efforts aimed at stabilising and strengthening it.
“If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi. He communicated to me that he was leaving the Labour Party and I gave him my blessings, but I told him that I would remain in the Labour Party.
“I told him that I would have to continue the struggle to rescue the Labour Party. That is the party that brought me to power. But for now, I am not defecting with him,” Gov. Otti said.
The Governor further explained that conversations around exploring alternative political platforms could only be considered after all internal mechanisms to rebuild and reposition the Labour Party had been fully explored. He stressed that such discussions are not a present concern, as his overriding priority is fulfilling the promises made to Abians.
Governor Otti emphasised that his administration remains firmly committed to good governance, service delivery, and the implementation of people-oriented policies, adding that political distractions would not be allowed to derail the ongoing efforts to transform Abia State.
He assured Abians that his loyalty, for now, remains with the Labour Party and with the people who entrusted him with leadership, reiterating that governance, not political realignment, is his immediate and unwavering focus.