…insists ‘even if I’ve to move, I’ll not be blackmailed’
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said that he has no intention of defecting from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) despite the recent gale of defections in the country.
Otti insisted that nobody could blackmail him into leaving the Labour Party, which he said was used by God through the people of Abia State to get him into power.
In an exclusive interview with Arise News monitored by Saturday Telegraph, Otti also responded to ongoing controversies surrounding the leadership of the Labour Party. He stated that Mr. Julius Abure has no legitimate claim to remain as party chairman.
He revealed that the Labour Party is now being controlled by a National Caretaker Committee, which he said would organise congresses from the wards to the local governments’ levels all through the national chapter of the party.
“I am not defecting as my party is not on shaky ground. I am even closer to the centre than some of those that have defected.
“Where God wants me to be is where I will be and if I must move, it must be the right move. I would not be blackmailed into leaving the Labour Party.
“Sometimes, you have to stand for something. I was once in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), then the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), then the APC before eventually joining the Labour Party.
“The issue is that the party that brought me to power is Labour and we have fought and retrieved Labour.
“I am very pragmatic, if I am going to take any decision, it would be in full consultation with Abia people. Those are the people I owe explanation.
“The truth is that it is Abia people through God that brought me here. So, nobody is more important to me than God and Abia people,” he said.
Addressing the Labour Party’s internal crisis, Otti said: “The Supreme Court has ruled that Julius Abure is no longer the chairman, but he still insists otherwise.
“As of today, the National Caretaker Committee is in charge. They will organise congresses across all levels, and we already have a timetable set for this before year-end.”
On national issues, Governor Otti expressed his views on the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, saying he prefers to discuss such matters directly with the president, given that he has access to him.
He acknowledged that Nigeria’s economic decline didn’t begin recently, attributing the challenges to long-standing neglect and denial.
“There are a lot of things we should have done earlier. Fuel subsidy was a scam; removing it was necessary. Floating the naira was also a reasonable move, but both happening simultaneously posed challenges.
“Inflation is now at 24%, which aligns with current interest rates. It’s unfortunate that the naira has lost so much value, but sacrifices had to be made. If not now, then later. If we didn’t act, the economy would collapse,” he said.
Otti said that his administration is working to foster an environment where productivity can thrive, arguing that the exchange rate crisis is partly due to Nigeria’s lack of local production.
“We import virtually everything, from the profane to the profound. We import toothpicks, bottled water, you name it. That puts undue pressure on the forex market. Until we produce, we’ll keep facing this issue.
“Do you know how much we spend importing food? Malaysians took palm oil from Umuahia in Abia State years ago. Today, we’re buying palm oil from them. That’s where we need to improve,” he said.
