Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has dismissed reports suggesting he is planning to defect from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the claims as “false, baseless, and unfounded.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, April 26, by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Governor Otti clarified that he neither held any meeting with Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State nor discussed plans to join the APC. “The report that His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, OFR, held a meeting with Governor Hope Uzodinma over his alleged planned defection to the APC is completely devoid of substance and should be disregarded,” Ekeoma stated.
He explained that following the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday, April 24, Governor Otti, along with a few of his colleagues, had attended the birthday celebration of Governor Uzodinma’s twin daughters — a purely social event with no political undertones. “It is natural for Governor Otti’s impressive performance, popularity, and towering credentials as the Governor of Abia State to attract admiration and generate political permutations from various quarters. However, Governor Otti’s political decisions, especially those with significant and far-reaching consequences for Abians, will always be made in consultation with the majority of Abians and his allies,” the statement added.
Ekeoma emphasized that any major political decision by Governor Otti must be justified and clearly aligned with the overriding interests of the Abia people. He further noted that although political activities ahead of 2027 are beginning to gather momentum, Governor Otti believes it would be unfair to the electorate for governance to be eclipsed by premature political maneuvering. “Governor Otti firmly maintains that, less than two years into his administration, governance — not politics — should remain the primary focus in Abia State,” Ekeoma stated.
Reaffirming the governor’s political stance, he added, “We wish to emphatically state that Governor Otti remains a member of the Labour Party and is not planning or discussing with anyone to defect to the APC or any other party, as falsely alleged.”
Governor Otti is currently the Labour Party’s only governor in Nigeria, after the party’s surge in the 2023 general elections, driven largely by its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. The party is also facing internal leadership crises that are testing its unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Otti’s rebuttal comes amid the political shake-up following the defection of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; his deputy, Monday Onyeme; former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; and several commissioners and political stakeholders to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, April 23.
Reacting to Friday’s developments (April 25), former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, dismissed the defections as a familiar political episode with little long-term impact. George, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, expressed confidence that the party would “bounce back” after its next National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
Meanwhile, Dele Momodu, a former PDP presidential aspirant, described the wave of defections as a “game of survival driven by fear,” warning that it could pave the way for a “democratic dictatorship.”
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa also weighed in, stating that Oborevwori’s defection to the APC would not be the last, adding that “more governors are expected to join the party.”
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