Alex Otti, the governor of Abia state, has denied claims connecting him to a potential defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reports had suggested that Otti recently met with Hope Uzodimma, the Imo governor, to discuss a possible move to the ruling party.
These claims emerged after Thursday’s national economic council (NEC) meeting at the presidential villa.
In a statement on Saturday, Ferdinand Ekeoma, special adviser to Otti on media and publicity, described the reports as “false, baseless and unfounded”.
The governor’s spokesperson stated that the alleged meeting was misrepresented and had no political significance.
“After the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday, April 24, Governor Otti and a few of his colleagues joined Governor Uzodinma to attend the birthday celebration of his twin daughters, an event that had nothing to do with politics,” he said.
Ekeoma suggested that Otti’s “rising profile and performance” as Abia governor might be fueling speculation and political projections from various sources.
He stated that decisions with long-term consequences would only be made in consultation with the people of Abia and the governor’s close associates.
According to him, Otti remains focused on governance and believes it is too early to allow 2027 politics to “distract from the mandate of service to Abians”.
“We wish to emphatically state that Governor Otti remains a member of the Labour Party and is presently not planning or discussing with anyone to defect to the APC or any other party,” he added.
In recent weeks, major opposition parties have lost several members to the ruling APC, with more governors and key party members reportedly planning to defect.
