Abia State Governor Alex Otti has stated that he will remain in the Labour Party, even as former presidential candidate Peter Obi prepares to leave the party.

Otti made the remarks during his monthly media briefing on Tuesday in Umuahia, the state capital. He said that while he gave Obi his blessings to exit, he is committed to staying in the party and helping to rebuild it.

“If you remember, I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi, so I did not join the party with him,” Otti said. “He has communicated to me that he is leaving the Labour Party. I gave him my blessings. But I will remain in the Labour Party and continue the struggle to rescue it. That is the party that brought me to power. If we succeed in repositioning the party, we can explore other options. For now, I am not defecting to any other party.”

Responding to calls from Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urging him to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), Otti said he would not be distracted.

“Ordinarily, I would not respond to such matters. However, those who heard my Christmas message will recall that I called on people to assist the less privileged, especially persons with disabilities. Seeing that he heeded that call and distributed support to vulnerable people, I thank him for that,” he said.

The governor added that he has chosen not to be provoked by political pressures, quoting Winston Churchill: “‘You will never get to your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.’ We will remain focused on our work.”