Otti vows not to oppose Tinubu’s 2nd term bid, rules out defection from LP

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has vowed not to oppose the potential second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027, despite the fact that he is in the Labour Party (LP).

This is even as Governor Otti has ruled out any possibility of his defection from LP to any other party in the foreseeable future.

Otti made these known at Government House, Umuahia, during the March edition of his monthly media chat tagged “Governor Otti Speaks”.

Otti said he wouldn’t oppose Tinubu’s bid for a second term because he is also running for re-election and thinks it would be wrong to challenge the president’s ambition.

The governor, who stoutly said he has no intention of leaving the Labour Party, stated he remains firmly committed to the party and its ideals.

Otti announced that the party’s challenges had been conclusively settled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) complying fully with the court’s ruling.

“The Labour Party had a problem, but that problem has been resolved by the Supreme Court. And INEC has also respected the decision of the Supreme Court. So maybe you haven’t followed the recent events in the party.

“The party is back on its feet and strong. As we speak, registration is going on, and those who haven’t registered should please register. You still have a window to register.

“We will be having our congresses leading all the way to the convention any time from now. So, in the light of this superior information, the question about defecting does not arise.”

On security in the state, Otti announced the appointment of Colonel Chidi Kalu Ukoha (rtd) as Homeland Security Manager, revealing that with the appointment, his administration was laying the groundwork for the eventual takeoff of state police.

He expressed optimism that the new appointee would play a key role in its implementation.

Otti cautioned against profiling criminals along ethnic or regional lines, insisting that criminality should not be associated with any particular group.

He was of the view that perpetrators of crimes, including housebreaking, are sometimes locals.

“Profiling herdsmen as coming from a particular section of the country may not be very correct,” Otti added.