Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has reiterated that he will retire from active politics after completing his tenure as governor, insisting that he harbours no ambition to contest the presidency, vice presidency, or a senatorial seat thereafter.
Otti spoke on Friday at the Government House in Umuahia while reacting to a viral video in which a commentator criticised his recent visit to Nnamdi Kanu at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, alleging that the governor was positioning himself for higher national office.
The governor said differing opinions are part of democratic practice but noted that such opinions are not always correct.
“That is the beauty of democracy. People are entitled to their opinions, and we respect them. But the fact that you hold an opinion does not mean you are right,” he said.
Otti restated that he had consistently made his position clear on his political future.
“I have said it before, and I want to say it again: when I am done with the governorship, I will retire. I do not have presidential ambition, I do not have vice-presidential ambition, and I do not have senatorial ambition,” he said.
According to him, his entry into politics was mission-driven, adding that leadership should have a clear exit point.
“I came on a mission, and when I deliver that mission, I will give way for younger people. I don’t even understand what is meant by Igbo presidency in this context. If the argument is based on that assumption, then it has collapsed, because I will not be on the ballot,” Otti stated.
He stressed that public office holders must know when to exit after fulfilling their mandate.
“When you have done what you were asked to do, you should take the exit door and allow others to step in. We have seen people who were governors and later became local government chairmen. That is not what we are here for,” he added.
The governor also explained his visit to Nnamdi Kanu, saying the decision was informed by a desire for peace and dialogue rather than political ambition.
“I opened discussions at the highest level on Nnamdi Kanu about 24 months ago. Visiting him was the right thing to do because he is from my state, and indeed from Umuahia North,” he said.
Otti said problems should not be ignored, noting that dialogue and administrative intervention remain valid pathways alongside legal processes.
“I am not a supporter of the disintegration of Nigeria. Even where the law has taken its course, there is still room for appeal, discussion, and reconciliation. Two wrongs do not make a right,” he said.
He concluded that his intervention had nothing to do with personal ambition, stressing that not every action taken by a political leader should be reduced to politics.
“Everything is not politics. Sometimes, it is simply about doing what is right,” the governor said.
