The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti recently welcomed former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, to his Nvosi country home in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area (LGA).
The visit, which took place over the weekend, saw the presence of Speaker of the House of Assembly Emmanuel Emeruwa, several aides to the governor, and members of the influential Kwankwasiyya Movement.
While Kwankwaso stated that his primary reason for visiting was to offer condolences to Governor Otti on the recent passing of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the first governor of the old Abia State, speculation quickly arose regarding the potential for a political alliance between Kwankwaso and Otti, who is currently the only Labour Party (LP) governor in Nigeria.
Dr. Onu was laid to rest in his hometown of Uburu, located in Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi State, on Friday.
The timing of Kwankwaso’s visit also coincided with a special reception hosted by Governor Otti for 15 Abia State indigenes who had recently completed their training at the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano.
This notable convergence of events added further fuel to the rumors of a strategic political collaboration.
In the aftermath of Kwankwaso’s visit, political analysts suggested that the meeting may have been motivated by efforts within the Peter Obi-led Labour Party faction to forge alliances with other opposition groups ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Don’t forget that 2027 is near. Do you think the two men would meet like they did now without talking about the next presidential election? That is impossible,” one of them told The Nation.
Another said Kwankwaso and Otti were “very much aware that the only way to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progress Congress (APC) from the centre is a formidable alliance.
“They know that now is the best time to start talking about how to defeat those in Aso Rock. And that, I believe is the core reason for the visit.”