NEWS
“The Person That Will Succeed Me Will Be Better Than Me” — Gov. Alex Otti Reaffirms, Receives 2023 SDP Governorship Candidate, Dr. Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye Into Labour Party
The Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma 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), in a political development that further underscores the growing realignment around his administration.
Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye, who contested the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the SDP, was formally welcomed into the Labour Party on Thursday, September 17, 2026, during a ceremony at the party’s State Secretariat in Umuahia.
Receiving her and her supporters, Governor Otti recalled her participation in the 2023 governorship election, describing her decision to seek the state’s highest elective office as courageous, particularly as a woman who ventured into the political contest.
The Governor used the occasion to speak extensively about his vision for Abia beyond his tenure, especially concerns over what would happen after the expiration of his administration in 2031.
According to Governor Otti, the most important legacy any administration can leave behind is good governance, stressing that leadership should be about building institutions and creating a better environment for citizens rather than establishing personal political empires.
The Governor made it clear that he does not intend to seek a Senate position after leaving office in 2031, and equally ruled out the idea of becoming a political godfather.
“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,” Governor Otti stated.
The Governor said his administration’s attention remains firmly focused on solving the challenges confronting Abia and delivering sustainable development to the people.
He explained that the progress recorded so far was not accidental, but the outcome of deliberate planning, prioritisation and the commitment of resources to areas considered critical to the state’s development.
“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,” Governor Otti said.
Governor Otti also highlighted the administration’s approach to urban renewal, noting that Aba and Umuahia were initially prioritised because of their strategic importance to the state.
According to him, the administration has now substantially restored the two major cities and is expanding its development interventions to communities across 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,” Governor Otti stated.
The Governor also praised Johnson-Chukwunenye for bringing children from the School for the Blind to the event, describing her concern for vulnerable and less-privileged members of society as an important demonstration of compassion and social responsibility.
He welcomed her and her supporters into the Labour Party, while expressing appreciation to the party’s leadership, members and supporters for their continued commitment to his administration and the development agenda of the state.
Earlier, Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye explained that her decision to join the Labour Party followed her close observation of developments in Abia State under the Otti administration.
She pointed specifically to the payment of salary arrears, regular payment of workers’ salaries, attention to pensioners and the rehabilitation of roads in Aba and Umuahia as 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 referenced the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Road and other major roads, alongside government interventions in sanitation and infrastructure, saying the projects had contributed to what she described as 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.
Mrs. Johnson-Chukwunenye further described her decision as more than a conventional political defection, saying she was aligning with Governor Otti’s “Greater Light” vision for the future of Abia State.
She explained that her interest in vulnerable people and social welfare did not begin with her entry into partisan politics, noting that her concern about the social burdens confronting citizens dates back more than 15 years.
According to her, several policies of the Otti administration, particularly those focusing on vulnerable people, youths, women and social inclusion, resonate with her humanitarian and faith-based 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 event brought together Labour Party leaders, supporters and members, with the formal presentation of the party flag to Dr. Johnson-Chukwunenye serving as its highpoint.
The flag presentation formally marked her entry into the Labour Party and her declared alignment with the Ot
ti administration’s development agenda in Abia State.