When rumours began circulating on social media last week claiming that Governor Alex Chioma Otti had defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Abia State Government moved quickly to stamp them out. In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, the government described the story as false and politically motivated — and reiterated that the governor remains a proud member of the Labour Party.
The press release framed the viral item as the handiwork of “political propagandists” unsettled by what the statement calls Governor Otti’s “consistent delivery of good governance” and rising popularity across party lines. It urged residents to disregard the story as a deliberate attempt to distract Abians from the administration’s ongoing work.
That same week, during the October edition of “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians,” the governor stressed that his priorities are service and measurable impact rather than political manoeuvring. According to the government’s account, Otti told listeners that leadership, to him, is about restoring infrastructure, strengthening accountability, and delivering the dividends of democracy — not party switching.
Since taking office, the Otti administration has emphasized a program of fiscal discipline, infrastructure renewal and youth empowerment — themes repeated in the press statement denying the defection. The release argued these policies align with the values of the Labour Party and, the government said, explain why the governor has no interest in political expediency that would undermine that mandate.
Analysts and local commentators who have followed Abia politics note that defections and rumours of defections are a recurring feature of the country’s fluid party landscape. For now, however, official sources in Umuahia insist there has been no meeting or decision that would signal a return to the APC, and say circulation of the stories only sows confusion.
Whether the episode will fade as another round of online posturing or leave a longer political imprint depends, observers say, on how the administration continues to deliver visible results for residents. The government’s immediate aim, according to its statement, is straightforward: maintain focus on rebuilding Abia, restoring public confidence in governance, and ensuring accountability — a message the state seeks to keep front and centre amid the noise of competing political narratives.