Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has dismissed as false and misleading, reports claiming he has defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recent social media posts and blogs had circulated a photograph of Governor Otti during a visit to Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, suggesting that the meeting was part of a political arrangement to facilitate his alleged defection to the ruling party.
Reacting to the reports, Governor Otti, through a statement issued on Monday by his Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, described the story as baseless propaganda being spread by political detractors determined to mislead the public.
According to the statement, the governor remains a proud and loyal member of the Labour Party, the platform under which he was overwhelmingly elected by the people of Abia State.
“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 statement read in part.
Governor Otti reiterated his administration’s unwavering focus on rebuilding the state’s economy, improving infrastructure, and restoring transparency in governance. He urged the public to ignore the false reports and treat them as another round of cheap political blackmail aimed at distracting his administration.
The statement further emphasized that the governor’s recent visit to Governor Mbah was purely a courtesy and governance-related engagement, not a political move.
Prince Kanu noted that such malicious fabrications were typical of those uncomfortable with Otti’s growing popularity and performance record, adding that no amount of propaganda would derail the administration’s commitment to delivering good governance to the people of Abia.
