The Abia State government has clarified that Governor Alex Otti did not meet with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma to discuss defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement released on Saturday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to Governor Otti on Media and Publicity, the government dismissed the defection rumours as false, baseless, and without merit, urging the public to ignore them.
The statement explained that Governor Otti, along with a few other governors, merely attended a birthday celebration for Uzodinma’s twin daughters following the National Economic Council meeting, stressing that the event was purely social and unrelated to politics.
Ekeoma acknowledged that Otti’s rising popularity and achievements as Abia’s governor might inspire admiration and political speculation, but emphasized that any major political decision impacting Abians would always be made in consultation with the people and the governor’s allies.
He insisted that any move made by Governor Otti must be clearly justified and serve the best interests of Abia residents, while urging citizens not to let early discussions about the 2027 elections distract from the ongoing efforts to deliver good governance in the state.
“Finally, we want to state clearly that Governor Otti remains a committed member of the Labour Party and is not in any discussions or plans to defect to the APC or any other party, contrary to these false claims,” the statement concluded.