Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has declared that he will remain in the Labour Party (LP) despite indications that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is set to leave the platform.

Otti made the position known on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, stressing that his decision was guided by loyalty to the party that brought him to office and a commitment to reposition it.

The governor disclosed that Obi had personally informed him of his intention to exit the Labour Party, adding that while he respected the former Anambra State governor’s choice, he had opted to chart a different political course.

“I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not come into the party because of him,” Otti said. “He has communicated his decision to leave the party, and I gave him my blessings. However, I have chosen to remain and continue the struggle to rescue and rebuild the Labour Party.”

Otti noted that the Labour Party provided the platform through which he emerged as governor, insisting that he would not abandon it at a critical time.

“That is the party that brought me to power. If we fight through and succeed in repositioning the party, then we can begin to discuss other options. For now, I am not defecting to any party,” he added.

The governor also reacted to calls by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urging him to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing such moves as unnecessary distractions.

He acknowledged Kalu’s recent distribution of financial support to vulnerable persons in the state, noting that it aligned with his own appeal to well-meaning Nigerians to assist the less privileged during the Christmas season.

Otti reaffirmed his focus on governance, saying his administration remained committed to delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Abia State.