![Governor Alex Otti of Abia State in Labour Party colour [ PHOTO CREDIT: Alex C. Otti]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2025/05/472786065_1130629555178195_2626392719568958237_n.jpg?fit=1440%2C960&ssl=1)
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has stated that he would rather remain in the Labour Party (LP) and assist the party in resolving its challenges, rather than defecting alongside Peter Obi, the 2023 LP presidential candidate.
Mr Otti made the assertion at the Government House in Umuahia on Wednesday during the December edition of his monthly press briefing.
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The governor explained that he joined the party before Mr Obi and stressed that his political future was firmly rooted in the party, regardless of Mr Obi’s decisions.
“I am not leaving the Labour Party. My responsibility is to stay and contribute to fixing whatever problems exist,” he said.
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Mr Obi announced his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday during a political rally at the Nike Lake Resort Hotel in Enugu, Enugu State.
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a rescue journey,” Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said.
“We will resist rigging of elections by every lawful means in 2027.”
The former governor joined the ADC alongside his LP supporters.
Abia’s medical city
Governor Otti announced at the press briefing that construction of the state’s proposed medical city would begin in 2026, noting that the delay was to ensure that investors did not shortchange the state.
READ ALSO: Gov Otti signs Abia’s 2026 budget into law
He also said that significant work was ongoing across health institutions, including the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba, to improve access to healthcare.
Mr Otti acknowledged that primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Abia were still underutilised due to citizens’ longstanding distrust of the system.
“It will take some time for people to believe in the PHCs, given that they were non-functional for many years, but gradually, trust will be rebuilt as people see improvements,” he assured.
The governor disclosed that he had directed that all the sacked personnel from Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic and Abia State University should be paid their entitlements.
He urged any unpaid staff member to present themselves to the institution’s authorities for verification and submission of account details.
(NAN)
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