Abia governor Alex Otti says he stayed in the Labour Party despite internal disputes and court cases because the party’s problems needed to be resolved.

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has explained his decision to remain in the Labour Party despite its internal disputes and court cases, saying he stayed to help resolve the problems.

Otti made the remarks in an interview with ARISE News Anchor Ojy Okpe while discussing his continued membership of the party and Peter Obi’s decision to leave.

Asked why he was staying in the Labour Party despite its problems and court cases, Otti said:

“Okay, but you have seen that we’ve solved the problem. There is a saying that you don’t relocate from your house because armed robbers came.

“Armed robbers came and attacked the house, so tomorrow you move and go to your neighbor’s house? You need to solve the problem, so I remained, and I’m sure you agree with me that we have solved the problem.”

Otti, however, acknowledged that further litigation remained possible, but said the Independent National Electoral Commission had published its list of candidates.

“Of course, there is always an opportunity to go to another court or start litigating once again, but the reality is that INEC has published its list of candidates.

“So even if you go to court, it’s an academic exercise. We litigated all the way to Supreme Court, started the litigation again, and got to the Court of Appeal. Because we are standing on the right side—”

On Peter Obi’s decision to leave the Labour Party, Otti said Obi had met with him and that he had told him he intended to remain in the party.

“He came and met with me, and I told him that for me, I was staying back. But he said he was leaving.

“I also predicted some of the things that happened, particularly where he went to first, and then he left that place again. Is it for me to tell him where he will be? Absolutely no, but at least I offered him my own piece of advice based on my understanding.

“You know he’s a more senior person, so there are things he could have seen that I didn’t see.”

Responding to Obi’s claim that the Labour Party’s problems would not have been resolved if he had remained in the party, Otti said the resolution process was already underway.

“But the process of resolution was already on. So for me, I could see that resolution.

“Like I said, he could have seen what I wasn’t seeing, and I’m not in a position to—I don’t even have a superior idea or knowledge.

“But what I could see at that time, including what I saw where he was headed, eventually turned out to be right. Otherwise, he would have stayed there, but he now left to where he is now.

“So it’s a matter of debate whether the problem could have been resolved with him there or not; I don’t know,”he said. (Arise News)