Abia State Governor Alex Otti has declared that he will neither become a political godfather nor impose a successor after completing his second term in 2031.
Otti made the statement on Thursday in Umuahia while formally receiving former Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate Ngozi Johnson Chukwunenye and her supporters into the Labour Party.
The governor emphasised that leadership succession must be guided by merit and competence rather than a culture of clinging to power.
“The most important thing you can give a people is good governance. And once people test good governance, it will be very difficult for them to allow you to take them back,” he said.
“So, if you are afraid that we will go back to Egypt, it will never happen. What I can assure you is that, by the time I’m done, the person who will succeed me will be better than me.
“I don’t want to be a godfather, and I don’t tolerate godfathers. We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, ‘Who is the best person for this job?’ Then all of us will agree, and we will campaign for him. He will win, and we will take a back seat.”
Otti reaffirmed that he would not seek any further elective office after his tenure ends, stressing the need to create space for younger leaders.
“We should stop this sit-tight. It’s only you. It can’t be only you. There are smarter, more trained, better-trained, better-equipped younger people; our children. We need to give them the opportunity,” he added.
He noted that his administration is already preparing the next generation through initiatives such as the Abia Leadership Academy, from which more than 1,080 young people aged 16 to 25 recently graduated.
Otti expressed confidence that these trained youths would ensure the state does not regress, while also highlighting ongoing efforts to extend development beyond major cities like Aba and Umuahia into the hinterlands.
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