Amid growing speculation that he may defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has firmly denied any such plans, insisting that his political influence and relationship with the presidency do not depend on party affiliation.
The speculation, fuelled by the recent high-profile defections of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his successor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to the APC, prompted public interest in whether other opposition leaders might follow suit. Okowa had justified the move by citing a desire to “connect Delta State to Aso Rock.”
But in a pointed response during an interview on ARISE Television, Governor Otti dismissed the notion that political access to federal power requires crossing over to the ruling party. “I am even closer to the centre than some of them,” he said, laughing off the suggestion.
“Governor Otti is not decamping and my party is not on shaky ground,” he stated emphatically.
He went further to argue that true political integrity requires consistency and conviction—qualities he believes President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself exemplified.
“This is democracy, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held on to his Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before becoming APC. If he was [about] defection, he won’t be President today. Sometimes, you have to also stand for something,” Otti noted.
While reaffirming his commitment to the Labour Party, which brought him to power in 2023, Otti also acknowledged the uncertainties that come with Nigeria’s fluid political landscape—especially amid internal challenges within the LP.
When asked whether he could ever leave the party, he offered a measured response: “I am not God. I cannot say if there’s no LP tomorrow.”
Governor Otti’s political career has seen him move across party lines in the past—from the PDP to APGA, then briefly to the APC, before finding electoral success under the Labour Party. But for now, he appears content to chart his course outside the orbit of the ruling party.
