The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti has reportedly begun to seek alternative means to his 2027 political future outside the Labour Party (LP) and the Obidient movement.
This is coming after the recently regained recognition of the Julius Abure faction by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A report by Daily Sun has claimed that LP, through the Abure faction, has now become an appendage of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources alleged that APC who has sworn to weaken and destabilise any party structure that has the Peter Obi imprimatur ahead 2027 presidential election, saw in the LP crisis a veritable opportunity to execute its anti-Obi agenda.
A source said, “Believe it or not, the Abure faction of the LP which was initially blacklisted by INEC is now back to reckoning on the strength of INEC and judiciary and this speaks to how LP has become an appendage of the APC. APC hirelings in the Abure-led LP NWC who have been heavily compromised are bent on getting even with Governor Otti, Obi and National and state Assembly members involved in the Umuahia meeting and setting up of the caretaker committee.
“Ahead 2027, Abure and his group are plotting devastating landmines against the category of LP members I have just mentioned. I have it on good authority that unless higher courts eventually sustain Abure’s ouster- which in any case looks pretty impossible because certain interests in the ruling APC have completely compromised otherwise impartial state institutions- everything will be done to deny or make it impossible for Otti, Obi and serving National and state Assembly members who participated in the Umuahia meeting to get LP tickets in 2027.
“Part of the grand design is to collapse the faction into the APC. The other options are either adopt President Tinubu as its presidential flag bearer for 2027 or field a weak Yoruba candidate that will offer feeble or no challenge at all to the president at the polls.”
Meanwhile, a loyalist of Governor Otti who pleaded anonymity “because I’m not supposed to speak to the press about this thing or reveal it” told the aforementioned publication that the governor is in the know of Abure’s antics and the impending ambush against his re-election and has put mechanisms in motion to fend them off.
He said, “Notwithstanding whatever political realignment or configuration His Excellency, Peter and the Obidient movement may be planning in the face of the mess Labour Party has become, I can reveal to you in confidence that His Excellency, Governor Otti is way ahead of Abure and his group in their plan to torpedo his second term; Governor Otti is set to chart a separate, independent political future.
“I can also tell you authoritatively that His Excellency is still a member of the Labour party only in name…he has his plans and will thwart Abure’s sinister moves against him. The outcome of the just concluded Abia local government election gives a clue as to what to expect in the run-up to 2027.”