Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says he has no plan to follow Peter Obi out of the Labour Party, despite the former presidential candidate’s decision to leave the platform.
Speaking at his monthly media briefing in Umuahia on Tuesday, Otti confirmed that Obi had personally informed him of his intention to quit the party.
“If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not join the party with him,” the governor 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. If we fight and get to the end, and we are unable to reposition the Labour Party, then we can discuss other options. Therefore, for now, I am not defecting to any party.”
Otti did not say which party Obi intends to join, even as speculation grows that the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate may formally align with the African Democratic Congress, adopted by an opposition coalition as its 2027 platform.
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Responding to calls from Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who has urged him to join the All Progressives Congress, Otti said he would not be distracted.
“Ordinarily, I would not respond to matters like that. However, those of you who listened to my Christmas message would recall that I called on our people who have enough to extend support to the less privileged, particularly at this period,” he said.
“So, seeing that he heeded the call and distributed money to vulnerable people, I thank him for doing that.
“But I have also taken a principled decision not to dignify all the comments he made with any response.
“I am sure you are aware of a man called Winston Churchill. He was a two-time prime minister of the United Kingdom and lived from 1874 to 1965.
“He was a profound thinker and writer who said, ‘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.”