Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has firmly denied speculations that he is planning to dump the Labour Party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Governor Otti said he remains committed to the Labour Party, the platform under which he was elected.
“The alleged plan to join the APC is a ruse. I am still a proud member of the Labour Party,” Otti stated, urging the public to disregard the rumour.
The governor also dismissed claims of holding a secret meeting with Imo State Governor and Progressive Governors’ Forum Chairman, Hope Uzodimma, to perfect a defection plan. Otti clarified that he only attended a private event—the birthday celebration of Uzodimma’s twin daughters—after participating in the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday, April 24.
“I would not make a political move that would have a major impact on the Abia people without carrying them along,” Otti emphasized, cautioning against heating up the political space with talks of 2027 elections.
The defection rumours surfaced amid rising political realignments, including the recent move by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, who both defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Otti, however, maintained that governance, not politics, should be the priority at this time:
“People should be more concerned about governance rather than politics,” he said.
This development also comes as the PDP faces internal turmoil, notably the controversy over the purported suspension of its Board of Trustees Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, for allegedly endorsing Otti’s second-term ambition—an action the PDP national leadership later dismissed as invalid.
