Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has debunked claims suggesting he plans to defect from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the reports as “false, baseless, and unfounded.”
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the governor clarified that he had not held any meeting with Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State to discuss joining the APC.
“The report that His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, OFR, held a meeting with Governor Hope Uzodinma over an alleged planned defection to the APC is completely devoid of substance and should be disregarded,” Ekeoma said.
He explained that after attending the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday, April 24, Governor Otti joined a few colleagues at a birthday celebration for Governor Uzodinma’s twin daughters — an event that was purely social and not politically motivated.
According to Ekeoma, Governor Otti’s growing popularity and impressive performance as Abia State governor have naturally attracted admiration and speculation. However, he stressed that any major political decisions by Otti would be made in consultation with the people of Abia and his political allies.
He noted that while political activities ahead of 2027 are beginning to take shape, Governor Otti remains focused on governance and believes it would be unfair to distract from his mandate with premature political speculation.
“We wish to emphasise that Governor Otti remains a committed member of the Labour Party and is neither planning nor discussing any defection to the APC or any other party, as falsely alleged,” the statement concluded.
