I don’t tolerate godfatherism, hence won’t become one – Alex Otti
By Mercy Ajekigbe
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said that he has no intention of becoming a political godfather, declaring that he would rather pave the way for a smooth transition to a new administration in the state, should he win the 2027 re-election
Otti said this, as reported by PUNCH, at the Labour Party State Secretariat in Umuahia on Thursday, where he formally received the 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Dr Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye, into the party.
In his speech, the governor emphasised his priority to create opportunities for a new generation of leaders to take over the reins of government, rejecting the idea of controlling the political affairs of the state after his tenure.
“What I can assure you is that by the time I am done, the person that will succeed me will be better than me. I don’t want to be a godfather. I don’t tolerate godfatherism. So, some of the people are making noise because they will tell you to do this, and I say I will not do it. Sometimes when I say no, they will go back and be digging for something”
He further stated that candidates should be properly evaluated by voting stakeholders in the future before placing them into office.
“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. He will win. We will take a back seat.”
Otti also announced that he intends to leave the active political scene after his second term, should he win re-election, saying he has no interest in seeking another political office.
He noted that Nigeria’s political landscape needed the knowledge, fresh ideas and perspectives of the younger generation, whom he said were better equipped to contribute meaningfully to the country’s future.
“I am not interested in any other thing. I don’t even want to go to the Senate. I am not interested. Once I finish this one, I will retire. Why do I say so? I want the young people to take over.
“You will see young people between the ages of 16 and 25. You will see how smart our children are. So, these are the people that will take over from us. And they are being trained now for tomorrow. So, we can never go back. We should stop this sit-tight syndrome. There are smarter, more trained, better trained, better equipped younger people – our children. We need to give them opportunities.And that is what is important to us. It is not about money.”
