Abia State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR, has formally received the 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr. Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye, into the Labour Party (LP).
Speaking while receiving Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Labour Party State Secretariat, Umuahia, the Governor recalled that Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye contested the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the SDP, describing her participation as courageous, particularly as a woman seeking elective office.
The Governor, who responded to concerns about what would happen after the end of his tenure in 2031, said the most important legacy any government could leave for its people is good governance.
The Governor said he is not interested in contesting for a Senate position in 2031, nor is he interested in godfatherism, adding that the person who will succeed him will be better than himself and would be produced by all Abians.
“So, what I can assure you is that by the time I’m done, the person that will succeed me will be better than me. Once I finish this one, I will retire. I want the young people to take over. We should stop this sit-tight system.
“I don’t want to be a godfather. We will all sit down, look at everybody, and say who is the best person for this job. And then all of us would agree, and we will campaign for him,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti said his administration is more focused on addressing the most pressing challenges facing Abia, noting that its achievements are the result of deliberate planning and prioritisation.
“This is just about 39 months. Everything cannot be done in one day, particularly in a place that has been badly managed in the last 24 years. It takes a lot of time, resources and planning,” Gov. Otti stated.
The Governor also announced that the administration had prioritised the restoration of Aba and Umuahia and is now extending its interventions to communities in the hinterlands.
“The most important areas for us were to restore Aba and Umuahia. And I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that we have literally restored those cities. We are now moving into the hinterlands, and we will continue until we reach everywhere,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti further commended Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye for bringing children from the School for the Blind to the event and for her concern for the less-privileged members of society, saying such acts of compassion are important in building a society where vulnerable people are remembered and supported.
The Governor thanked the Labour Party leadership, members and supporters for their commitment to the administration and welcomed Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye and her supporters into the party, assuring them of his continued commitment to the development of Abia State.
Earlier, Dr. Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye said her decision to join the Labour Party is to support Governor Otti’s administration after closely following developments in the State and observing what she described as positive changes under the present administration.
She cited the payment of salary arrears, regular payment of workers’ salaries, attention to pensioners and the rehabilitation of roads in Umuahia and Aba as some of the developments that influenced her decision.
“I saw a State that was once the dustbin of unpaid salaries: 29 months of arrears, now paying salaries on the 28th of every month. I saw pensioners who were left to die, now smiling again because Abia remembers them,” she said.
She also cited the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Road and other roads, as well as government efforts in sanitation and infrastructure, saying these have contributed to the restoration of the dignity of Abians.
“It became my own divinely guided conviction that my assignment must align with this vision. Hence, my decision to openly and joyfully support this second-term bid; not for politics, but for posterity,” she declared.
Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye said she is not merely joining a political party, but aligning with his “Greater Light” for a better Abia.
She said her commitment to supporting vulnerable members of society predates her involvement in politics, noting that her desire to see government address the social burdens of the people began more than 15 years ago.
She further said the policies of Gov. Otti’s administration, particularly those relating to vulnerable people, youths, women and social inclusion, aligned with her faith and humanitarian convictions.
“The Government of Dr. Alex Otti remembers the poor, it remembers the helpless, it remembers the youths yearning for jobs, the women yearning for inclusion, and the men yearning for order,” she said.
The high point of the event was the official handover of the party flag by the leadership of the Labour Party.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
September 17, 2026.
