Otti Abia godfather pledge: the governor says he will not impose a successor after 2031 and wants younger leaders to take greater responsibility
Abia State Governor Alex Otti on Thursday, 17 September 2026, in Umuahia said he would not become a political godfather or impose a successor on Abia after completing his second term in 2031, insisting that future leadership should be based on merit and competence.
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Otti made the declaration while receiving former Social Democratic Party governorship candidate Ngozi Johnson Chukwunenye and her supporters into the Labour Party.
The governor said Abia should move away from a political culture in which leaders seek to retain influence after leaving office, arguing that younger and better-equipped people should have the opportunity to lead.
“The most important thing you can give a people is good governance,” Otti said.
He expressed confidence that whoever eventually succeeds him would be capable of providing quality leadership for the people of Abia State.
“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,” he said.
Otti was emphatic about his position on political godfatherism.
“I don’t want to be a godfather, and I don’t tolerate godfathers,” the governor said.
He explained that the process of choosing his eventual successor should involve considering potential candidates and identifying the person deemed most capable of leading the state.
“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 said.
The governor also reaffirmed his earlier position that he would not seek another elective position after completing his second term.
“We should stop this sit-tight. It’s only you. It can’t be only you,” he said.
“There are smarter, more trained, better-trained, better-equipped younger people; our children. We need to give them the opportunity.”
Otti linked his position on political succession to efforts by his administration to prepare young Abians for future leadership through initiatives such as the Abia Leadership Academy.
According to the governor, more than 1,080 young people between the ages of 16 and 25 recently graduated from the academy.
“You will see how smart our children are. So, these are the people that will take over from us,” he said.
“And they are being trained now for tomorrow, so we can never go back.”
The comments come as political activity gradually builds ahead of the 2027 general elections. Otti, however, was speaking about the leadership transition expected after 2031 rather than the immediate 2027 governorship contest.
The governor’s position also reflects a broader argument for generational change in political leadership, with Otti saying experienced leaders should create space for younger Nigerians to take responsibility.
Beyond succession, Otti spoke about the development priorities of his administration, saying the government initially focused on Aba and Umuahia before extending projects to other parts of the state.
He said the administration was now moving deeper into the state’s hinterlands.
“We are now moving into the hinterlands, and we will continue until we reach everywhere, so nothing will stop us,” Otti said.
For Otti, the question of who eventually succeeds him should therefore be determined by the qualities of the available candidates rather than by an established political patronage system.
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His pledge not to become a godfather places leadership development and institutional succession at the centre of his stated vision for Abia beyond his tenure.
