In a move that could mirror the political realignment seen in Rivers State, Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, is reportedly considering asking his supporters to join the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) ahead of the upcoming local government elections in the state.
The governor, who came to power under the Labour Party (LP), is allegedly exploring alternative political platform to secure influence in the state’s local councils, following internal disagreements within the LP.
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DAILY GAZETTE had reported how the Court of Appeal upheld the Federal High Court judgment affirming Barr. Julius Abure as the authentic national chairman of the Labour Party.
The judgment recognized the Nnewi convention, where Barr. Abure was re-elected, and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to acknowledge Abure-led National Working Committee as the only legitimate leadership of the party.
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According to reports, the judgment did not sit well with Governor Otti, who, alongside other party stakeholders, had appointed Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s national caretaker committee chairman during a stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, the Abia state capital.
DAILY GAZETTE recall that Julius Abure had instructed the Abia State chapter of the Labour Party not to take directives from any other source except the leadership recognized by him.
According to insider reports, Governor Otti is contemplating rallying his political base to shift allegiance to the Zenith Labour Party, a party known to share similar ideals with the Labour Party but with fewer or no internal frictions.
This potential realignment draws comparisons to the Rivers State political scenario, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara faced challenges and shifted his support base to the Action People’s Party (APP).
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Though no official statement has been released by the governor, discussions within the Abia political circle suggest that the move is being considered as a way to navigate internal party conflicts and strengthen Otti’s hold on the state’s political structure.
If executed, this strategy could significantly impact the upcoming local government elections scheduled for Saturday, November 2nd, 2024, giving Governor Otti a stronger position by placing loyalists in Abia’s seventeen local government areas.
However, it remains unclear how Labour Party officials and other political stakeholders in the state will react to such a shift.
