Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said he will not become a political godfather or impose his successor on the state after completing his second tenure in 2031.
Otti stated this on Thursday in Umuahia while receiving former Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Ngozi Johnson-Chukwunenye, and her supporters into the Labour Party (LP).
The governor said leadership succession should be based on merit and the ability of individuals to provide quality leadership, rather than a culture of political “sit-tight” leadership.
According to him, his administration is focused on providing good governance and creating opportunities for younger people to emerge as future leaders.
“The most important thing you can give a people is good governance,” Otti said.
He added that once citizens experience good governance, they would be unwilling to return to what he described as the poor governance of the past.
Otti said he was confident that his successor would be better equipped to lead the state.
“I don’t want to be a godfather and I don’t tolerate godfathers,” he said.
“We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, who is the best person for this job and then all of us will agree and we will campaign for him.
“He will win and we will take a back seat.”
The governor also reiterated his position that he would not seek another elective position after completing his second tenure.
He urged political leaders to end the practice of holding on to power indefinitely, stressing that younger Nigerians should be given opportunities to lead.
“We should stop this sit-tight. It’s only you. It can’t be only you,” Otti said.
“There are smarter, more trained, better-trained, better-equipped younger people; our children. We need to give them opportunity.”
Otti said his administration was already investing in developing young people through initiatives such as the Abia Leadership Academy.
He disclosed that more than 1,080 young people aged between 16 and 25 had recently graduated from the academy, describing them as part of the next generation of leaders.
“You will see how smart our children are. So, these are the people that will take over from us,” he said.
The governor said his administration would also continue its infrastructure and development projects despite criticism, noting that meaningful development could not be achieved overnight.
He said the administration had initially focused on restoring Aba and Umuahia before extending its interventions to other parts of the state.
“We are now moving into the hinterlands, and we will continue until we reach everywhere; so nothing will stop us,” he said.
Otti also commended Johnson-Chukwunenye for joining the Labour Party and for supporting vulnerable children, including pupils of the School for the Blind.
Speaking at the event, the Labour Party National Vice-Chairman, Southeast, Ishmael Onuoha, said the party’s motto reflected the ideals contained in the third stanza of the national anthem.
He described the Labour Party as one committed to the interests of the masses and providing hope for Nigerians.
The Abia State LP Chairman, Peter Azubuike, attributed the growing support for the party to what he described as the Otti administration’s performance.
Azubuike said the party was prepared for the 2027 elections and urged members to intensify mobilisation at the grassroots and prepare for polling-unit-based campaigns.
In her remarks, Johnson-Chukwunenye said she had closely followed the Otti administration and was convinced by its efforts to clean up, light up and restore dignity to Abia.
She said her decision to support Otti’s second-term bid was based on her belief that his policies aligned with her vision of a government that prioritises vulnerable citizens and promotes equity.
She also called for legislation on “continuity and completion” to ensure that successive administrations completed projects inherited from previous governments.
