•Abia Gov Dismisses Defection Pressure, Questions LP Future
By OBSERVERS TIMES.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has emphatically stated that he maintains a close working relationship with President Bola Tinubu without needing to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). This declaration comes amidst a wave of defections to the ruling party, notably including Delta State’s Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who cited a desire to “connect Delta to Aso Rock.”
In a candid interview on Arise Television Friday, Otti dismissed the notion that party affiliation is a prerequisite for collaboration with the president. “This is democracy, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held on to his Alliance for Democracy, Action Congress, and Action Congress of Nigeria before becoming APC. If he had defected, he wouldn’t be president today. Sometimes, you also have to stand for something,” he asserted.
Otti, whose own political journey saw him elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), also expressed uncertainty regarding the party’s future. He acknowledged the ongoing leadership crisis within the LP, stating, “I am not God. I cannot say if there’ll still be an LP tomorrow.” He further clarified that the tenure of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, had expired, and a Caretaker Committee is now overseeing the party’s affairs.
