Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has firmly denied rumours suggesting he plans to leave the Labour Party (LP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Otti dismissed the claims as baseless, emphasizing that he remains committed to the Labour Party, the platform that brought him to power. He urged the public to disregard the false reports.
Otti also refuted claims of holding secret meetings with Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, to plan a defection. He clarified that after attending a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday, April 24, he and a few other governors only joined Uzodinma at a private family event — the birthday celebration of Uzodinma’s twin daughters — which had no political undertones.
Ekeoma’s statement, issued Saturday, read in part:
“The report that His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, OFR, held a meeting with Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State over an alleged planned defection to the APC is false, baseless, and unfounded. It should be disregarded.”
The statement noted that while Otti’s performance and rising popularity have naturally drawn political attention, any major political decision he might make would always involve consultation with the people of Abia and his political allies, and would be taken solely in the state’s best interest.
Governor Otti also advised against heightening political tensions with premature talk about the 2027 elections, stressing that the focus should remain on governance rather than politics at this early stage of his administration.
The statement concluded:
“Governor Otti remains a committed member of the Labour Party and is not in talks with any party about defection.”
Meanwhile, PDP Crisis Deepens as Lawmakers, Governors Prepare to Defect
In a related development, Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato Federal Constituency, revealed that two PDP governors and 40 lawmakers are preparing to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the coming weeks.
Speaking at a press conference in Akokwa, Imo State, Ugochinyere expressed deep concern over the lingering internal crisis in the PDP. He accused the party leadership of negligence, allowing the situation to deteriorate.
Ugochinyere called for the immediate expulsion of Samuel Anyanwu and Nyesom Wike from the party, blaming them, alongside PDP acting chairman Umar Damagum, for orchestrating the party’s woes.
He said:
“We warned the PDP leaders about the dangers posed by Anyanwu and Damagum, but they ignored us. Now, our governors and lawmakers are defecting en masse. The failure to act swiftly has led to the disintegration we see today.”
Ugochinyere criticized the PDP leadership for delaying critical meetings meant to resolve internal disputes, arguing that for two years, party leaders neglected to replace the ousted chairman Iyorchia Ayu or address deep-rooted problems.
He further alleged a new plot by Damagum and Anyanwu to sabotage the scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in May and to manipulate the upcoming August convention to secure their positions.
He concluded by urging the majority of progressive members within the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to act swiftly:
“The unconditional expulsion of Samuel Anyanwu and Nyesom Wike must happen. Without it, the party cannot be taken seriously. The time to act is now.”
