The Abia State Government has firmly denied speculations making the rounds that Governor Alex Otti is in talks to defect from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the reports as nothing but politically motivated falsehoods aimed at misleading the public.
This clarification was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma. He dismissed the claims as entirely untrue, stating categorically that no political meeting was held between Governor Otti and his Imo State counterpart, Senator Hope Uzodimma, as being peddled across some platforms.
According to Ekeoma, the only interaction that occurred between both governors was purely social and non-political. He explained that following the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held on Thursday, April 24, Governor Otti, along with a few of his fellow governors, joined Governor Uzodimma in Imo State to celebrate the birthday of his twin daughters.
Ekeoma stressed that it is not unusual for Governor Otti’s rising profile, credible governance style, and the sweeping admiration he enjoys among Abians to spark speculation and political permutations from different quarters. However, he maintained that decisions of great political significance—especially those that could impact the state—would always be reached in consultation with the people of Abia and key stakeholders.
“It’s natural for Governor Otti’s impressive performance, popularity, and towering credentials as the Governor of Abia State to attract admiration and permutations from interested parties. However, Governor Otti’s political decisions, especially those that would have huge impact and far-reaching consequences on Abians, would at all times be taken in conjunction with majority of Abians and his allies,” the statement read in part.
The governor’s media aide also noted that Dr. Otti remains focused squarely on delivering good governance to the people of Abia State and has not shifted attention to the politics of 2027. He noted that any attempt to tie him to premature political scheming is not only unfounded but also unfair to the Abia electorate who voted for meaningful change.
Ekeoma reiterated that the Governor remains a committed member of the Labour Party and has neither initiated nor entertained discussions about moving to the APC or any other political platform.
“Governor Otti strongly holds the view that though political activities seem to have once again started gathering momentum, it would be unfair to the Abia electorate if politics of 2027, instead of governance, is allowed to dominate discussions less than two years into the administration,” he said.
He concluded by urging members of the public to disregard the rumours and focus on the positive strides being recorded by the Otti-led administration, assuring that the Governor remains committed to transparency, development, and people-driven leadership.
