Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has declared that he will not leave the Labour Party, even though the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, plans to exit the platform.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the state capital, Otti said he intends to stay with the Labour Party to help rebuild and reposition it.
He revealed that Obi personally informed him about his decision to leave, and while Otti gave his blessings, he made it clear that his own political path would be different.
“If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not join the party with him. 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,” Otti said.
The governor described the Labour Party as the platform that brought him to power and stressed his loyalty to it for now. “That is the party that brought me to power. If we fight and get to the end, and we are able to reposition the Labour Party, then we can discuss other options. Therefore, for now, I am not defecting to any party,” he added.
Otti also responded to calls from the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who urged him to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said he was not interested in political distractions.
He acknowledged Kalu’s recent efforts to provide financial support to vulnerable people in Abia State, noting that it aligns with his own calls for assistance to the less privileged during the Christmas season.
Leave a comment