The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has denied claims that he is preparing to dump the Labour Party (LP) alongside Peter Obi, insisting he has no intention of defecting “for now” and will remain in the party to “continue the struggle” to reform it.

 

Speaking on Wednesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the state capital, Otti confirmed that Obi had personally informed him of his decision to leave the party — a move that has fuelled rumours of a mass exodus and impending political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

 

Otti, however, stressed that his political journey with the LP is far from over.

 

“If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not join the party with him,” he said.

 

“He has communicated to me that he is leaving the Labour Party. I gave him my blessings. But I will remain in the Labour Party, and I told him that I would continue the struggle to rescue the Labour Party. That is the party that brought me to power.”

 

The governor hinted that only if efforts to restructure and reposition the party fail would he consider a new platform, but ruled out any imminent defection.

 

“If we get to the end and we are unable to reposition the Labour Party, then we can discuss other options. For now, I am not defecting to any party.”

 

Otti’s remarks come amid fresh pressure from the All Progressives Congress (APC), including public appeals from the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who urged him to join the ruling party.

 

The governor dismissed the overture, saying he would not be distracted. “Ordinarily, I would not respond to matters like that… I have taken a principled decision not to dignify all the comments he made with any response,” he told journalists.

 

Quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Otti added: “You will never get to your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks. We will remain focused on our job.”

 

Although Otti confirmed Obi’s exit from the Labour Party, he declined to disclose which party the former Anambra governor is heading to.

 

Obi has been linked to the opposition coalition that recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political vehicle for the 2027 race. Sources within the coalition suggest he may formally declare for the ADC as early as Wednesday, although no official confirmation has been made.