Labour Party : Otti is not our member- Abia Chairman
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
The leadership of Labour Party (LB) in Abia State has denied rumours that Dr. Alex Otti has become a governorship aspirant of the party.
Abia State Labour Party Chairman, Ceekay Igara, told The Oracle Today in an exclusive interview in Umuahia Wednesday, that Alex Otti was not a member of the party, let alone being its governorship aspirant.
Rumours were rife in Abia State this morning that Dr Alex Otti who has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress governorship primary billed for Thursday, May 26, 2022, has joined Labour Party and has become the party’s governorship candidate.
Igara admitted however that Otti and some of his aides have reached out to him but that no deal has been reached. “Yes, he called me and said he is making arrangements, I said okay. Some of his aides have also called me. I mean calling is one thing and being a member is another thing,” he said.
In refuting Otti’s membership of Labour in Abia, Igara said: “As a matter of fact, I don’t know Alex Otti as a member of Labour Party. Before you become a member of a party, you first of all have to register in your ward. As I am talking to you now, Alex Otti is not a member of Labour Party, Abia State.”
It was learnt that in his efforts to switch to Labour Party, Otti went to meet with the National Working Committee of Labour Party in Abuja which was said to have referred him back to the local authorities in Abia.
“Dr.Alex Otti knows very well that if you want to do things properly, you must do it in line with laid down procedures and protocol. And I think that is what is lacking in his behaviour.
“Without prejudice to his pedigree, I mean Alex Otti, I respect him so much. One thing is that Labour Party is a party that is groomed with discipline. My National Executive members are sound men, people who have ideologies, who have integrity to protect. And you cannot see anybody in Labour Party who will jump from one party to another within a short while to cover about four or five parties.
“Like I said, Alex Otti is not a member of Labour Party. You don’t become a member of Labour Party by mouth. He is not yet a member of Labour Party, Abia State. If he is, I am not aware,” Igara added.
Igara who is also the state chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC,) disclosed that Labour Party in Abia was being meticulous with the process of choosing its candidates, particularly that of governorship, because the party wants to field candidates that would fetch electoral victories.
“Of a truth, we are in a season of change; Abians are now more educated than before. If you field the wrong candidate, you will not win but if you field the right candidate, whether there is money or not, you will win election. That is why in Labour Party, we are reiterating that we are going to occupy the Government House but not with candidates who have gone round the circle. No, we don’t want to bring that kind of snag to Labour Party now. We have rebranded this party and we put in so much to bring this party to where it is now,” he said.
According to Igara, the leadership of Labour in Abia would not allow people who made no contributions to building or sustaining the party to hijack it in this election season, nor will there be imposition of candidates.
“We don’t do like those in PDP and those in APC, people who impose candidates on their people, no, we don’t impose candidates. That is why if you they are coming into Labour Party with that mentality, they will meet a brick wall,” he warned.
