Abia State Governor Alex Otti has ruled out defecting from the Labour Party, despite indications that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, plans to leave the platform.
Otti made his position known on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, saying he had chosen to remain in the Labour Party to help rebuild and reposition it.
The governor disclosed that Obi had personally informed him of his intention to exit the party. While expressing no objection to Obi’s decision, Otti stressed that his own political journey would take a different course.
“I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not come into the party with him. He has told me he is leaving, and I gave him my blessings. But I will remain and continue the struggle to rescue the Labour Party,” Otti said.
He described the Labour Party as the platform that brought him to office, adding that his loyalty remains with the party for now. According to him, discussions about alternative political options can only arise after efforts to reposition the party are exhausted.
Otti also dismissed calls by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urging him to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he was not interested in political distractions. He, however, acknowledged Kalu’s recent financial support to vulnerable residents, noting it aligned with his own advocacy for assisting the less privileged during the festive season.
Meanwhile, the APC has commenced its nationwide electronic membership registration exercise across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, announced the exercise on Wednesday via his verified X account, saying registration would be conducted at ward levels nationwide. Existing members are required to validate their membership online, while new members are encouraged to register.
Yilwatda said the exercise aims to strengthen the party through proper documentation and broader participation in its internal processes.