Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has dismissed speculations that he plans to defect from the Labour Party, firmly ruling out any move to leave the party alongside its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Otti made the clarification on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, amid growing rumours of possible defections within the Labour Party and the wider opposition coalition.
The governor disclosed that Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, had personally informed him of his decision to exit the Labour Party, stressing that while he respected and supported Obi’s choice, he had opted to chart a different political course.
“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.”
The Abia governor, however, declined to reveal the political platform Obi intends to join.
Otti also responded to calls by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who had urged him to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he would not allow political distractions to divert his focus from governance.
“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.
“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.”
Peter Obi has remained a central figure in the opposition coalition but is yet to formally join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which the group has reportedly adopted as its platform ahead of the 2027 general election.
However, political speculation continues to mount that the former Labour Party presidential candidate may formally declare for the ADC on Wednesday.
