…Says party won’t hesitate to field Otti if he defects
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed confidence that the party will bounce back strongly before the 2027 general elections.
The former Senate President, who spoke with journalists in Umuahia, said the PDP would not hesitate to field Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, as its governorship candidate should the governor decide to consider the party as a platform for his second-term bid.
Wabara said the ongoing efforts of the Tanimu Turaki–led National Working Committee (NWC) to rebrand the PDP were already yielding positive results, declaring that the gloomy days of the party were over.
According to him, the new leadership has repositioned the PDP as a more credible and attractive alternative for candidates seeking elective offices in 2027.
The elder statesman predicted that politicians who defected from the party would soon begin to return, insisting that the implosion of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was inevitable.
He urged Nigerians to unite against what he described as the plot by anti-democratic forces within the ruling party to stampede the country into a one-party state.
Wabara commended members of the House of Representatives for approving mandatory electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing constitutional amendment exercise, noting that the move would strengthen the electoral process and minimise manipulation.
He also urged PDP members to remain steadfast and unwavering in their support for the party.
Describing Governor Otti as a major asset to any political party, Wabara said the growing scramble for the governor was due to his impressive performance record, which he noted would count significantly in 2027.
He disclosed that PDP elders were intensifying efforts to reposition the party and attract progressive-minded individuals who would help move it forward.
The BoT Chairman, who maintained that the South-East remains a traditional stronghold of the PDP, said Otti’s eventual defection would brighten the party’s chances and restore the zone as a major force in Nigeria’s political equation.
Wabara also applauded Governor Otti for unveiling a 25-year Abia Development Plan, describing it as a comprehensive blueprint for economic revolution and industrial growth.
He further praised the governor’s developmental strides in road infrastructure, healthcare, education, industry, and security.
On the electric buses procured by the state government for the urban mass transit scheme, Wabara said the initiative would bring significant relief to residents amid prevailing economic hardship.
The former Senate President said that as an elder statesman and stakeholder in Abia politics, he had a moral obligation to acknowledge good performance regardless of party affiliation.
“Abians are now excited to return home to see things for themselves. Good governance should not be sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics,” he said.
Wabara added that Governor Otti had returned Abia State to the path of greatness envisioned by its founding fathers, noting that joining the PDP would further enhance his chances in 2027.
He said he had been vindicated over his earlier commendation of the governor during the flag-off of the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road, Aba—a federal road that has since been completed.
“When I praised the governor for rehabilitating the strategic but long-abandoned Port Harcourt Road, some mischief-makers called for my head. Today, I have been vindicated. Abians from different political backgrounds are celebrating the undeniable evidence of good governance in our state. Everything should not be politics,” Wabara said.
However, he urged Governor Otti to seriously consider joining the PDP, citing what he described as an instigated leadership tussle within the Labour Party.
“Only the devil will pretend not to see the ongoing revolution in Abia. But in 2027, the governor needs a stronger platform like the PDP, which has the capacity and national spread to withstand the antics of the ruling party that is instigating crises within opposition parties,” he added.
