Dec. 31, 2025

Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has reaffirmed his commitment to the Labour Party, saying he will not defect alongside Mr. Peter Obi but will remain to help the party resolve its challenges.

Otti made the assertion at the Government House in Umuahia on Wednesday during the December edition of his Monthly Media Chat with newsmen in Abia, titled: “Gov. Otti Speaks with Abia People.”

The governor explained that he joined the party before Obi and stressed that his political future was firmly rooted in the party, regardless of Obi’s decisions.

“I am not leaving Labour Party, my responsibility is to stay and contribute to fixing whatever problems exist,” he said.

He announced that construction of the state’s proposed Medical City would begin in 2026, noting that the delay was to ensure that investors did not shortchange the state.

He also said that significant work was ongoing across health institutions, including the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba, to improve access to healthcare.

Otti acknowledged that Primary Healthcare Centres, (PHCs) in the state were still underutilised due to citizens’ longstanding distrust of the system.

“It will take some time for people to believe in the PHCs, given that they were non-functional for many years but gradually, trust will be rebuilt as people see improvements,” he assured.

The governor further disclosed that he had directed the payment of all sacked personnel from Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic (OOP) and Abia State University (ABSU).

He said that no one should still be owed and urged any unpaid staff to present themselves to the institutions’ authorities for verification and submission of account details. (NAN)