•Governor Alex Otti of Abia State
Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, has vowed that he will not join the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, to another party, saying that, unlike the former Anambra governor, he was elected as governor under the platform of the LP.
Speaking in Umuahia during the December 2025 edition of his monthly interactive session with journalists tagged, “Governor Otti Speaks To Abians”, Otti declared that he will remain in the Labour Party to redeem it, stressing that he has no intention of running away from the challenges that have beset the party, but will fight to put things in order.
His word, “if you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Mr Peter Obi. Yes, he communicated to me that he was leaving the Labour Party, and I gave him my blessings. However, I told him I would remain in the Labour Party.
“I told him that I would have to continue the struggle to rescue the Labour Party; that’s the party that brought me to power. But for now, I’m not defecting with him.”
According to him, discussions on alternative political options would only arise after internal efforts to find a way out of the crises in the party have been exhausted, reports Daily Independent.
On his administration’s current revitalising of moribund industries, the Abia governor maintained that the aim is to create more jobs and also improve the economy of the state, emphasising that discussions are ongoing for the revitalisation of moribund companies like Modern Ceramics Industries, Aba Textiles Mills, International Glass Industries, etc.
On the recent invitation to join the APC by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, Otti averred that he has already made a decision not to be distracted by the antics and commentaries of Ben Kalu.
“You know the quote of that British statesman, Winston Churchill, that ‘you’ll never get to your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks’.
“His invitation to me to join APC; ordinarily, I would not respond to matters that have to do with Right Honourable Benjamin Kalu, since you’ve asked, the first thing is to thank him for heeding my call during the Christmas period to our people who have the means to extend their consideration to the less privileged, particularly this time.
“To see that he heeded the call and distributed rice and some items to vulnerable people, I thank him for doing that.
On health, Otti disclosed that his administration embarked on the renovation and functionalisation of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) with 200 so far as the target. He opined that 16 PHCs have already been fixed in Bende LGA.
Abia State, he asserted, recently won multiple national recognitions, including Awards for Health Emergency Preparedness, saying that the Awards are a testament to his government’s commitment to healthcare workers as well as to the State Ministry of Health.
On the transport sector, the governor assured that the 20 Electric Bus Scheme that was rolled out recently will continue to offer free ride services till the end of January 2026, adding that the fleet will be increased from 20 to 100 in 2026.
