2027: Governor Otti Rules Out Defection, Says He ‘ll Help Fix Labour Party

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has reaffirmed his commitment to the Labour Party (LP), insisting that he will not defect to another political party but will remain within the opposition party to help resolve its internal challenges.

Otti made the declaration on Wednesday at the Government House in Umuahia during the December edition of his monthly media briefing tagged ‘Governor Otti Speaks with Abia People’.

The governor stressed that his political roots were firmly anchored in the Labour Party, noting that he joined the party before the 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.

“I am not leaving the Labour Party. My responsibility is to stay and contribute to fixing whatever problems exist,” Otti said.

Beyond politics, the governor disclosed that construction of the proposed Abia Medical City would commence in 2026. He explained that the delay was deliberate, aimed at ensuring that investors did not shortchange the state.

He also said that ongoing rehabilitation works across health institutions, including the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) in Aba, were targeted at improving access to quality healthcare for residents.

Otti acknowledged that many Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the state remained underutilised due to years of neglect and public distrust.

“It will take time for people to believe in the PHCs, given that they were non-functional for many years. But gradually, trust will be rebuilt as improvements become evident,” he said.

The governor further revealed that he had directed the full payment of outstanding entitlements owed to disengaged staff of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic and Abia State University.

According to him, no affected worker should still be owed, urging anyone yet to receive payment to approach the relevant institutions for verification and submission of bank details.