Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said he plans to leave active politics after completing his tenure, insisting that younger people should be given the opportunity to take over leadership.
Otti made the statement on Thursday in Umuahia while speaking about governance and political succession in the state.
The governor said he was not interested in pursuing another political position after leaving office, including a seat in the Senate.
“Once I finish this one, I will retire. Why do I say so? I want the young people to take over,” Otti said.
He also rejected the idea of remaining influential in Abia politics as a political godfather after his tenure.
“I don’t want to be a godfather. And I don’t tolerate godfathers,” he said.
Otti said the process of choosing his successor should focus on identifying the person considered suitable for the job, after which political leaders should step aside and allow the new leadership to operate.
He also criticised what he described as the “sit-tight” approach to politics, saying younger Nigerians were increasingly better trained and equipped to take on leadership responsibilities.
According to him, opportunities should be created for younger people, including those currently being prepared through leadership and development programmes.
Otti further said good governance was the most important thing government could provide for citizens, arguing that people who experience effective leadership would be less willing to accept a return to poor governance.
The governor said he wanted his eventual successor to perform better than him and maintained that his political plans after leaving office would not include controlling the state from behind the scenes.
