Abia State Governor Alex Otti has firmly declared that he will remain in the Labour Party (LP) even as the party’s most prominent figure, former presidential candidate Peter Obi, prepares to leave the platform and chart a new political course ahead of the 2027 general elections. Otti’s clarification came during his monthly media briefing in the Abia State capital on Tuesday, where he addressed widespread speculation about his political future and reaffirmed his commitment to the party that propelled him into office.
Governor Otti disclosed that Peter Obi had personally informed him of his decision to exit the Labour Party. He said he gave Obi his blessing to pursue what he sees as a strategic shift, but stressed that he would not follow him out of the party. “If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not join the party with him,” Otti stated, emphasising that his political loyalty is rooted in his own journey rather than in the presence of any individual. 
The governor described the Labour Party as the vehicle that brought him to power in Abia State, underlining the personal and political debt he believes he owes the 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,” he said. 
For many Nigerians, the Labour Party’s dramatic rise in the 2023 general election, buoyed by Peter Obi’s presidential candidacy, represented the emergence of a potent third force in the country’s political arena. Obi’s campaign attracted significant support from young voters and civil society activists disenchanted with the traditional dominance of the two major parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His message resonated deeply, particularly in southern and urban constituencies, and his supporters formed grassroots movements such as the Obidient Movement to mobilise for political change. 
However, discord within the party’s leadership ranks began to surface in the months after the election, with competing factions and disagreements over governance, zoning arrangements, and strategic direction. The party’s internal disputes culminated in pressures that have now prompted Obi to consider leaving the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition or another platform where he believes his 2027 presidential ambitions can be best realised.
Calls have been made by political actors to Otti for him to join other parties, particularly the ruling APC, as part of broader efforts by the federal government’s party to attract opposition governors and consolidate power ahead of future elections. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu publicly urged Otti to defect to the APC, entreaties the governor rebuffed as distractions. “Ordinarily, I would not respond to matters like that,” he remarked, even as he acknowledged the charitable gestures of those reaching out during the festive season.
To underline his focus on governance over political provocation, Otti quoted former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, saying: “You will never get to your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.” This adage was used to illustrate his resolve to remain focused on serving his constituents and rebuilding the Labour Party rather than being sidetracked by political noise. 
Samuel Aina