Comfort Uduma
Alex Otti is set to formally meet with President Bola Tinubu in the coming days to perfect plans for his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in what sources describe as a strategic realignment ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Otti’s political associates hint that the Governor has been increasingly worried over the threat of losing power to the APC led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,Chief Ben Kalu and the Senator representing Aba North zone, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who have vowed to unseat him.
The Governor is also said to be having sleepless night over the high influx of former PDP Chieftains into the APC; considering that he stands no chance with the determination by the two parties to out him in 2027 election.
The political associates were alleged to have informed Otti that there is no way he would return to office under the platform of the Labour Party,as almost all leading politicians in the state have joined the APC, boasting to use federal power to sack the Governor in 2027.
Multiple party insiders have confirmed that this impending political move is the real reason behind the sudden postponement of the APC’s Ward, LGA, and State congresses in Abia State.
The congresses were earlier scheduled to commence yesterday.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), jointly signed by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwata, and the National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola, the party officially notified the Commission of the suspension of the exercises until further notice, without fixing a new date.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) hereby formally notifies the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the suspension of the State, Ward and Local Government Congresses of the Party, earlier scheduled to hold pursuant to the approved timetable of activities, until further notice.
“This decision was taken following ongoing consultations and the need to conclude certain preparatory and administrative processes to ensure the orderly, transparent, and credible conduct of the Congresses in the State.
“The party will communicate a revised schedule of activities to the Commission in due course, in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022,” the statement read in part.
While the official explanation references “ongoing consultations” and “administrative processes,” party sources insist the postponement is anything but routine.
“The political arithmetic is straightforward. Governor Otti, having reportedly settled on the APC as his platform for the 2027 re-election bid, must first take charge of the party structure in Abia before any congresses are concluded. Control of ward, local government, and state executives ultimately determines the direction of party primaries,” the party sources stated.
An Abuja based APC stalwart stated that allowing congresses to proceed before Otti’s formal entry would risk entrenching a leadership structure potentially outside his influence.
“The postponement creates a political window, enabling him to assume leadership of the party in the state before new executives emerge. No serious incumbent governor defects into a party without securing the machinery ahead of primaries.
“Otti’s entry into the APC would automatically remove the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, from his current leadership position within the party in Abia and could significantly frustrate his alleged 2027 governorship ambition.
“For existing APC stakeholders in Abia, the development signals a potential reshuffling of hierarchy. Congresses determine who controls the delegates. Delegates determine who wins primaries. And primaries determine who flies the party’s flag.
In a related development, the APC also notified INEC of the postponement of congresses in Adamawa State, where Umaru Fintiri is widely rumored to be considering a move to the ruling party.
The parallel postponements in both Abia and Adamawa have fueled speculation that the APC is strategically amending its internal processes to accommodate incoming governors ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.
With 2027 approaching, governors seeking second terms or political survival are carefully choosing platforms that align with federal power dynamics.
For Otti, aligning with President Tinubu’s APC may provide both institutional backing and structural stability heading into the next election.
