Ayo Fayose, the former Ekiti State Governor has been reported to have advised the Abia State Governor Alex Otti to remain steadfast in the Labour Party (LP) despite the waves of defections within the party’s ranks.
According to reports from Magic FM Aba, this admonition came while the former Ekiti State Governor was Speaking to journalists on Sunday at Otti’s Nvosi residence in Isiala Ngwa South, where he eulogises Otti’s leadership and adviced him to resist pressures to defect to other Party, emphasizing his pivotal role within the LP.
“Even if everybody leaves, people don’t leave. Remain there.” he says.
This remarks amid internal leadership crisis in the LP has drawn the attention of observers who witnessed the pivotal roles of the governor in the leadership crisis rocking the Party where Governor Otti is seen to be instrumental to the entire crisis, as he unconstitutional convened a stakeholder meeting in Umuahia to remove the entire leadership of the Labour Party including the National Chairman Bar. Julius Abure and with the recent confirmation of the Abure’s candidate in the November Anambra Gubernatorial election by INEC. Can Gov Otti accept Fayose’s advice?.
The internal crisis of the Labour Party has however affected the party with the continuous resignation and defection of members of the party, more especially the members of the National Assembly reducing its House of Representatives seats from 34 to 26 and Senate seats from 8 to 6.
Fayose’s visit followed a tour of Otti’s flagship projects in Umuahia and Aba, including road infrastructure, healthcare facilities, and education initiatives. He lauded Otti’s two-year tenure as “impactful and people-focused,” particularly highlighting the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba, a once-impassable route now transformed into a dual carriageway. “For 37 years, it was uninhabitable. A commercial city like Aba needs this,” Fayose noted.
He also praised Otti’s smart school initiative, vowing to share the concept with Ekiti State’s governor. “The governor has given leadership back to the people, prioritizing their needs,” Fayose said, urging Otti to “stay strong and finish well.”
Otti, who joined the LP in May 2022 after a failed governorship bids under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and All Progressive Congress (APC) actualised his dreams and became the only LP governor in the 2023 elections. The entire Party structure has allegedly complained of Gov Otti’s sidelining the Party and his anti-party activities since he emerged as a governor.
The increasing waves of political parties internal crisis in Nigeria is a major challenge ahead of the
2027 general election.
Fayose’ advice and endorsement of Otti’s second tenure will be justified if Otti plays the role of a leader to champion the reconciliation of agreaved members and the recognition of Julius Abure as his National Chairman to maintain his political growing influence so as to clear hurdles for his 2027 re-election bid.
