Fresh revelations have emerged regarding Governor Alex Otti’s recent visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, contradicting the narrative advanced by the Governor’s media team. While it was suggested publicly that the visit centred on the plight of the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, authoritative sources within the Presidency have exclusively informed IgbereTV that the meeting was primarily focused on Governor Otti’s political future.
This development follows Governor Otti’s highly publicised visit to Nnamdi Kanu at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, where the IPOB leader is serving a life sentence. Political observers had viewed the timing of the prison visit—immediately preceding the trip to Abuja—as strategic, suggesting it was designed to shape public perception ahead of the Aso Rock engagement.
According to a senior presidential aide who spoke on condition of anonymity, “The agenda was political, not judicial. The Governor’s discussion with the President was about alignment ahead of 2027 and his planned movement to APGA. The Kanu issue was not a priority.”
The meeting was only the second private audience between the two leaders since May 29, 2023. The first was facilitated by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State governor shortly after the election tribunal judgment, despite Otti’s repeated claims of closeness to the President. Their relationship has been observed as strained, with President Tinubu cancelling at least two scheduled visits to Abia State in the past year—a point noted by political analysts as indicative of underlying tensions.
Insiders revealed that during the meeting, Governor Otti pledged his loyalty to President Tinubu and expressed support for the President’s re-election bid in 2027. More significantly, he reportedly informed the President of his intention to defect from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)—a move that would mark a significant shift from Peter Obi and the Obidient movement that propelled him to victory in 2023.
“He came to brief the President and seek his understanding ahead of the defection. This has been in the works for months,” another source within the villa stated.
Reacting to the development, the Abia State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, firmly rejected the claims.
“Governor Alex Otti remains a proud and loyal member of the Labour Party, the platform under which the people of Abia overwhelmingly elected him in 2023,” he stated. “The Governor’s focus remains firmly on service, accountability, and rebuilding Abia, not on political gamesmanship. We urge the public to disregard unfounded speculations intended to distract from the ongoing transformation in the state.”
Despite the official denial, credible sources within APGA have independently confirmed that high-level talks regarding Otti’s entry into the party have been ongoing. Political analysts note that the sequence of events—the Sokoto visit followed immediately by the Aso Rock meeting—suggests a carefully calibrated political strategy.
“It appears the Governor is attempting to balance regional sentiment with national political realignment,” said political commentator Dr. Ikenna Nwachukwu. “The Sokoto visit appealed to grassroots emotion, while the Abuja meeting was about concrete political positioning.”
The emerging details indicate that Governor Otti’s visit to President Tinubu had little to do with Nnamdi Kanu’s ordeal and was instead a calculated step toward his own political survival and reallignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
