Abia Governor Alex Otti Vows to Retire From Politics After Tenure, Rules Out Senate
- Abia State Governor Alex Otti announced plans to quit politics after completing his current term in office
- Otti made the declaration while speaking on good governance in Umuahia on Thursday, citing the need to create space for younger Nigerians
- The governor also said he had no desire to become a political godfather or extend his career through a Senate seat
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Abia State Governor Alex Otti has declared that he will not pursue any political office once his tenure ends, saying he wants to step aside and allow younger Nigerians to take the reins of leadership.
Otti made the remarks on Thursday in Umuahia, the state capital, while addressing the importance of effective governance. He said his exit from politics was a deliberate choice rooted in his belief that the country needed a generational shift in leadership.
Source: Twitter
"Once I finish this one, I will retire. Why do I say so? I want the young people to take over," he said.
Otti distances himself from Godfatherism
According to Channels, beyond announcing his retirement from politics, the governor was equally firm about the kind of leader he did not want to become. He ruled out any desire to function as a political godfather or to use his influence to control future political outcomes in the state.
"I don't want to be a godfather. And I don't tolerate godfathers," Otti said.
He also directly dismissed any suggestion that he might seek a Senate seat after leaving office, saying such a move held no appeal for him.
"I keep saying it, I'm not interested in anything else. I don't even want to go to the Senate. I'm not interested," he said.
The governor argued that citizens who lived under good governance would naturally resist attempts to drag them back to poor leadership. He used that point to assure those worried about a political reversal after his tenure.
"So, if you are afraid that we will go back to Egypt, it will never happen. We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, who is the best person for this job? And all of us will agree, and we will campaign for him; he will win. We will take a back seat," Otti said.
A push for younger leadership
Otti criticised the tendency of political figures to cling to power and called for a culture in which leaders willingly made way for a new generation.
"We should stop this sit-tight; it's only you. Not only you, it also can't be only you. There are smarter, more trained, better trained, better equipped younger people. Our children, we need to give them opportunities," he said.
He also pointed to good governance as the single most valuable thing a leader could offer the people he served, saying: "The most important thing you can give a people is good governance."
Governor Otti under fire over loyalty ahead of 2027 election
Legit.ng earlier reported that Ahead of the 2027 elections, the Abia state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Alex Otti of playing a double game over the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu. President Tinubu is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Otti is a member of the Labour Party (LP).
Source: Legit.ng
