Alex Otti, governor of Abia, has said he will not leave the Labour Party (LP) despite the decision of Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, to quit the platform.
Otti spoke on Tuesday during his monthly media chat in Umuahia, the Abia capital, where he addressed speculations over his political future following Obi’s exit from the party.
The governor said Obi had personally informed him of his decision to leave the Labour Party and that he had given his former ally his blessings.
“If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not join the party with him,” Otti said.
“He has communicated to me that he is leaving the Labour Party. I gave him my blessings. But I will remain in the Labour Party, and I told him that I would continue the struggle to rescue the Labour Party.
“That is the party that brought me to power. If we fight and get to the end, and we are unable to reposition the Labour Party, then we can discuss other options. Therefore, for now, I am not defecting to any party.”
Otti also reacted to calls by Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, urging him to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he would not allow himself to be distracted.
“Ordinarily, I would not respond to matters like that. However, those of you who listened to my Christmas message would recall that I called on our people who have enough to extend support to the less privileged, particularly at this period,” he said.
“So, seeing that he heeded the call and distributed money to vulnerable people, I thank him for doing that.
“But I have also taken a principled decision not to dignify all the comments he made with any response.”
The Abia governor further invoked a quote attributed to former British prime minister Winston Churchill to explain his decision to stay focused on governance.
“I am sure you are aware of a man called Winston Churchill. He was a two-time prime minister of the United Kingdom and lived from 1874 to 1965.
“He was a profound thinker and writer who said, ‘You will never get to your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.’ We will remain focused on our job.”
Obi, who has since aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, recently raised concerns over the party’s “unresolved zoning arrangement” ahead of the 2027 general election.
