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Politicians from two of Nigeria’s major opposition parties have crossed into the Labour Party in Abia State, lending their endorsement to Governor Alex Otti’s bid for a second term ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial election.
The defections took place Thursday in Ohanku community in Ukwa East Local Government Area, where members of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party formally joined the LP in a public ceremony attended by the governor, traditional rulers, and senior political figures from the area.
Among those who switched allegiance were the member representing Ukwa East State Constituency, Hon. Lewis Obianyi; former Majority Leader of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Paul Taribo of the APC; former commissioner and former Ukwa East Transition Committee Chairman Hon. Ossy Nwamuo; and two-time Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lady Chinedu Brown.
Welcoming the new members, Otti expressed gratitude for their support and accepted their endorsement for re-election. He used the occasion to announce that electricity supply to Ndoki land — which residents say has been largely absent for more than two decades — would be restored by the end of March 2026. “I understand you already have power drawn here, so you probably require transformers and a smart metering system. If that is what is required, you can take it from me that before the end of March, you will have power here,” he said.
Read also: There Is No Religious Discrimination In Abia State – Gov Otti
The governor issued a series of directives and commitments during the visit. He instructed the Commissioner for Works to complete the outstanding section of Ohanku Road and confirmed that the Obohia Road reconstruction project would be extended into Obohia village. He said ongoing border disputes in Akirika Obu were being addressed through direct engagement with the Akwa Ibom State governor, and that his administration had signed a memorandum of understanding with an international firm concerning the revival of Abia Palm.
Otti also said 11 primary healthcare centres in Ukwa East had been renovated, with four already operational and the remainder to be made functional within 45 days. He directed the council chairman to carry out repair work on school buildings at the venue and pledged fuller rehabilitation afterward.
When traditional rulers moved to confer a chieftaincy title on him, the governor declined, asking that the honour be deferred until after his tenure in 2031. He said he holds the position that public officials should not receive such recognition while in office.
Addressing the gathering, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara framed the endorsement as a collective decision rather than a partisan one. He moved the formal motion for Otti’s re-election bid, which Obianyi seconded and the crowd affirmed. “It was not a political party affair but a collective resolution,” Wabara and other speakers said, describing the governor’s record in the local government as creditable.
Read also: Abia State Former Govs Blast Each Other Over State’s Condition
Speakers highlighted the flag-off of what they described as the first general hospital in Ukwa East, school repairs, and healthcare centre renovations as evidence of delivery. They also used the occasion to press the governor on outstanding concerns — including the prolonged electricity outage, the state of Abia Palm, road access from Aba into the local government, and the unresolved Akirika Obu border situation.
Mayor of Ukwa East LGA Hon. Chibunna Akara and Eze Ikeagwuchi Ekeke, speaking on behalf of the Asa community, outlined the governor’s record in the area while drawing attention to remaining infrastructure gaps.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, was among the dignitaries present. Traditional rulers offered prayers for the governor and presented gifts at the close of the event.
Abia State’s 2027 governorship election is still more than a year away. No opposing candidates have been formally declared.
