I don’t tolerate godfathers so I won’t be one – Otti

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Abia State Governor, Alex Otti

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Gov. Alex Otti of Abia says he will neither be a godfather nor impose his successor on the state after serving his second tenure in 2031.

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Otti spoke on Thursday in Umuahia, while receiving a former Social Democratic Party Gubernatorial Candidate, Mrs Ngozi Johnson-Chukwunenye, and her supporters into the Labour Party (LP).

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He said that leadership succession should be based on identifying the most suitable person for the job, rather than perpetuating a “sit-tight” culture.

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He said that the person who would succeed him would be better equipped to provide quality leadership to the people.

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Otti said: “The most important thing you can give a people is good governance.

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“And once people test good governance, it will be very difficult for them to allow you to take them back.

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“So, if you are afraid that we will go back to Egypt, it will never happen and what I can assure you is that, by the time I’m done, the person who will succeed me will be better than me.

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“I don’t want to be a godfather and I don’t tolerate godfathers.

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“We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, who is the best person for this job and then all of us will agree and we will campaign for him.

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“He will win and we will take a back seat.”

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The governor also reiterated his earlier stance not to seek another elective position after completing his second tenure.

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He said his administration’s focus was to provide good governance and create an environment, where younger people could emerge as capable leaders.

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“We should stop this sit-tight. It’s only you. It can’t be only you.

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“There are smarter, more trained, better-trained, better-equipped younger people; our children. We need to give them opportunity,” he said.

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Otti said that his administration was already preparing younger people to take over leadership responsibilities through various initiatives, including the Abia Leadership Academy.

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He said that over 1,080 young people, between the ages of 16 and 25, had recently graduated from the academy.

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“You will see how smart our children are. So, these are the people that will take over from us.

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“And they are being trained now for tomorrow; so we can never go back,” he said.

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The governor also said the administration’s effort to improve governance and infrastructure would continue, in spite of criticism.

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He argued that development could not be achieved in one day.

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He said his administration had prioritised the restoration of Aba and Umuahia before extending its interventions to other parts of the state.

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“We are now moving into the hinterlands, and we will continue until we reach everywhere; so nothing will stop us,” he said.

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He thanked Johnson-Chukwunenye for joining the party and for remembering less privileged children, including pupils from the School for the Blind.

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Otti said such gestures demonstrated concern for vulnerable members of society.

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In a speech, the National Vice-Chairman of the party (Southeast), Mr Ishmael Onuoha, said the party’s motto aligned with the ideals expressed in the third stanza of the national anthem.

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Onuoha described the party as one committed to the masses and hope for Nigerians.

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In a remark, the LP Chairman in Abia, Mr Peter Azubuike, said the growing support for the party was a by-product of Otti’s good governance and performance.

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Azubuike said the party was ready for the 2027 elections, urging members to prepare for polling-unit-based campaigns and ensure effective mobilisation at the grassroots.

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In a speech, Johnson-Chukwunenye said that she had closely followed the Otti administration and was convinced by its efforts to clean, light up and restore dignity to Abia.

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She said she decided to support Otti’s second-term bid because she believed his administration’s policies aligned with her vision of a government that remembers the poor and promotes equity.

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She called for legislation on “continuity and completion” to ensure that successive administrations continued projects inherited from previous governments.

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(NAN)

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