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Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, on Thursday, said though he remained a member of the Labour Party, he authorised his followers to join the party they like for the local government election in the state.
Otti stated this during the November edition of his monthly media chat with newsmen, in Umuahia.
“I remain in LP, if there is the need to leave, you will be properly informed,” he said.
The governor’s faction of the LP had been overruled by the court, as it reinstated Julius Abure as the national chairman of the party.
Following the internal squabbles in the party and the decision of the faction led by the 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi and Otti not to have anything done with the Abure-led faction, the governor said he asked his supporters to move to any party of their choice.
Though LP is the official party of the state government, it did not field any candidates in the local government election.
The Zenith Labour Party won 15 local government areas while the Young Peoples Party won in two councils, fuelling rumours that the governor had concluded plans to defect to the ZLP.
Otti, speaking on Thursday, however, said “I can assure you that I am in LP.
“The crisis in LP made a lot of our supporters go elsewhere. Our people know those that would deliver the goods. As our people say, you know the child you would send out that would not disgrace you when they give him food. Even if he is hungry, he will refuse to eat.
“I believe that was what has happened in this case, right from the time I stood up to contest the election in 2015. When I left PDP to join APGA, our people followed me and I won that election then.
“APGA has not won even one councillorship before that time and then, we took almost half of the House of Assembly seats in 2015.
“So, sometimes, people recognise that political parties are empty platforms and that when you muddle up things in your political parties, you give advantage, create opportunities for your competitors and that was what happened in this last election.
“I authorised my followers to join any political party that they liked and the majority of them moved into other political parties. I remain in the Labour Party.
“Anytime I am going to leave, that is if there is any need to leave, you would be properly informed,” he said.
