Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has refuted media reports and speculations that he is perfecting plans to dump the Labour Party and defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Otti who said there was no iota of truth in the speculations, also denied holding any nocturnal meeting with Gov Hope Uzodimma on the subject matter.
Gov. Otti who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, dismissed the speculations as a figment of the imagination of the peddlers.
Otti declared that he remained a committed member of the LP which brought him to power, insisting that he has no plans to leave the party.
The Governor further said his major preoccupation at the moment, was good governance, and advised against over heating the polity with 2027 politics.
Ekeoma in a statement issued Saturday morning said: “The report that His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, OFR, held a meeting with Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State over his alleged planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), is false, baseless and unfounded. It’s completely devoid of substance and thus should be disregarded.
“After the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday, April 24, Governor Otti and a few of his colleagues joined Governor Uzodimma to attend the birthday celebration of his twin daughters, an event that had nothing to do with politics.
“It’s natural for Governor Otti’s impressive performance, popularity and towering credentials as the Governor of Abia State to attract admiration and permutations from interested parties, however, Governor Otti’s political decisions, especially those that would have huge impact and far-reaching consequences on Abians, would at all times be taken in conjunction with majority of Abians and his allies. Such decisions must be justified and be seen to be in the overriding interest of Abia people.
“Governor Otti strongly holds the view that though political activities seem to have once again started gathering momentum, it would be unfair to the Abia electorate if politics of 2027, instead of governance is allowed to dominate discussions less than two years into the administration.
“Finally, we wish to emphatically state that Governor Otti remains a member of the Labour Party and is presently not planning or discussing with anyone to defect to the APC or any other party for that matter as falsely alleged.”
