Governor Alex Otti addresses Labour Party crisis and APC defection rumours in a no-holds-barred interview. What he said about Abure will shock you. Read full story now.
…Says he’s closer to the centre than many in APC, vows to defend Labour Party mandate
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has broken his silence over mounting speculations surrounding a potential defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), emphatically stating that he remains loyal to the Labour Party — at least for now.
In a no-holds-barred interview, the economist-turned-politician slammed those pressuring him to “move closer to the centre” by joining the APC, saying such arguments are simplistic and uninformed.
“Everybody must not be in APC. This is a democracy,” Otti declared. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held on to his AD, AC, ACM before becoming APC. If he had jumped ship early, he probably wouldn’t be President today.”
Asked if he would ever leave the Labour Party, Otti gave a philosophical response.
“I am not God,” he said. “I cannot say what the future holds. If there’s no Labour Party tomorrow, I can’t pretend it never existed. But as of today, the Labour Party remains the vehicle that brought me to power.”
Otti detailed his own political transitions, acknowledging previous affiliations with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and even APC.
“I’ve moved around, yes. But that’s not the issue. The issue is that the party that brought me to office is Labour, and we have fought to retrieve and reclaim that party from impostors.”
He made it clear that his confidence in Labour’s structure today is rooted in a legal battle that culminated in a landmark Supreme Court judgment.
“I’ve told you the story, and I’ll send you the judgment,” he said. “Once you read it, you’ll understand why I say that Julius Abure is just masturbating. He’s out. His actions are causing nothing but gyrations in the Labour Party.”
The governor’s remark, branding the factional national chairman Abure’s political maneuvers as “masturbatory”, has since sparked online reactions across the political space.
Critics have accused Otti of arrogance, but his supporters argue he’s only defending the soul of the party.
He further described the Labour Party under his current leadership as legally and structurally intact, asserting that he is not in a hurry to abandon it.
“Some people think being in APC is the only way to be relevant. I am closer to the centre than most of them — even without joining APC.”
Governor Otti’s explosive comments come amid ongoing turbulence within the Labour Party over leadership legitimacy, with Abure continuing to parade himself as National Chairman despite court rulings to the contrary.
While Otti did not completely rule out a future political realignment, his immediate loyalty lies with Labour — a party he believes still offers hope for genuine change in Nigeria.
“We are building a platform that is inclusive, rooted in legality, and free from the control of political godfathers,” he said.
As 2027 approaches, Otti’s stance and bold statements have further defined him as one of the political voices to watch — a man ready to challenge the status quo without bowing to the pressures of Nigeria’s political establishment.
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