Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said he will not become a political godfather or impose a successor on the state when he completes his second term in office in 2031.
Otti made the statement in Umuahia while receiving former Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Ngozi Johnson Chukwunenye, and her supporters into the Labour Party (LP).
The governor said the choice of his successor should be based on merit and competence rather than a culture of political succession that keeps individuals in control.
Otti expressed confidence that his successor would be better equipped to provide quality leadership and sustain good governance in the state.
He said his administration’s focus was to ensure that residents experienced good governance and would not want to return to what he described as the past.
Otti said, “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.
“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.”
