Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has refuted claims circulating on social media that he has left the Labour Party for the All Progressives Congress.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, on Monday.
Kanu dismissed the report as false, adding that it is the handiwork of political opponents unsettled by Otti’s growing popularity and record of performance.
He stressed that the governor remains a steadfast member of the Labour Party, describing the report as a “desperate attempt to distract Abians and create unnecessary confusion.”
He stated, “Governor Alex Otti remains a committed and proud member of the Labour Party, the platform under which the good people of Abia overwhelmingly elected him to serve. His focus remains unshaken, to rebuild Abia, restore accountability, and deliver the dividends of democracy to every citizen of the state.”
The commissioner recalled that during the October edition of ‘Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians’, the governor had reiterated his disinterest in political realignments or defections, stressing that his priority was governance, not politics.
“It is important to remind the public that only last week, during the October edition of ‘Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians,’ the Governor made it unequivocally clear that his interest is not in political permutations or defections, but in service to humanity and the transformation of Abia State. He reaffirmed that leadership, to him, is about impact, not political convenience,” he added.
Kanu highlighted that the Otti administration has maintained a clear policy direction built on transparency, fiscal responsibility, infrastructural development, economic expansion, youth empowerment, and renewed trust in government.
“These are values synonymous with the Labour Party’s ideals, values that the Governor will never compromise for any political expediency,” the statement added.
The commissioner urged residents to disregard the fake report, describing it as another round of cheap propaganda aimed at diverting attention from the progress being made across the state.
“We wish to assure Abians that Governor Alex Otti remains resolute in his mission to continue to build a new Abia where truth, justice, and equity prevail under the banner of the Labour Party,” he stated.
Recall that Otti had in May emphasised that he does not need to join the APC to be close to President Bola Tinubu.
He noted that not everyone needs to join the ruling party.
