The Labour Party (LP) leadership has maintained that Alex Otti, the governor of Abia state, is not planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)Obiora Ifoh, the LP spokesperson, stated this in an interview on Friday, January 17, 2025Henzodaily.ng reports that there have been rumours over plans by no fewer than five first-term opposition governors to defect to APC, preparatory to the 2027 general elections
Henzodaily.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics and governance in Nigeria.
Umuahia, Abia state—Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Labour Party (LP) leadership has said Abia state governor Alex Otti does not plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Premium Times noted that Obiora Ifoh, the LP’s national spokesperson, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, January 17, in Abuja.
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LP denies Alex Otti’s rumoured plan to join APC.
Photo credit: @alexottiofr
Source: Twitter
Otti, the only governor elected on the platform of LP, was one of the five state No.1 citizens speculated to be planning to dump their party for the APC.
The others are Peter Mbah, Enugu; Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers; Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta; and Umo Eno and Akwa Ibom – all elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Reacting, Ifoh acknowledged that political defections are not uncommon in a democratic system but stressed that Otti had no intention of joining the ruling APC.
He said:
“It is just a rumour, and we hope it remains so. We are in constant contact with our governor, Dr Alex Otti, and he has assured us that he is not going anywhere ahead of 2027.
“We believe he will stay with us, despite some of the issues we are working hard to resolve.”
The LP official added:
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“We are doing well in the Labour Party, and our governor is with us. We hope that by 2027, we will have more governors in our ranks.”
2027: Anti-APC alliance surfaces
Meanwhile, a former governor of Kano state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, is leading the northern elite to woo southern bigwigs for an alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sources said former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-head of state, Yakubu Gowon, are among supporters of the group.
Henzodaily.ng gathered that Shekarau, a leader of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), had been discussing coalitions with political leaders in the southeast, south-south, and south-west.
The LND convener, Umar Ardo, declared the group’s readiness to transform into a political party, citing the need to create a unified and credible national political platform.
Read more on the 2027 elections:
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Oborevwori not leaving PDP for APC
Earlier, Henzodaily.ng reported that Charles Aniagwu, the Delta state commissioner for works (rural roads and public information), debunked reports of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s possible exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The government official said in a recent interview with Arise News.
According to Aniagwu, the rumours that the governor is joining the APC soon are “wishful thinking”.
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Source: Henzodaily.ng