I Won’t Be A Godfather” — Alex Otti Declares, “I Don’t Tolerate Godfathers

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said he will not impose a successor on the people of the state after completing his second tenure in 2031, stressing that he has no intention of becoming a political godfather.

According to reports, Otti made the remarks on Thursday in Umuahia while receiving former Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Ngozi Johnson-Chukwunenye, and her supporters into the Labour Party.

The governor said the process of choosing his successor should be based on identifying the most suitable candidate rather than promoting a “sit-tight” political culture.

Otti said he expected the person who would eventually succeed him to be better equipped to provide quality leadership to the people of Abia.

“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.

He added, “I don’t want to be a godfather, and I don’t tolerate godfathers.”

Otti said that when the time comes, relevant stakeholders would assess potential candidates and support the person considered most suitable for the position, after which he would “take a back seat.”

The governor also reiterated that he would not seek another elective position after completing his second tenure, saying his administration was focused on creating opportunities for younger people to take up leadership responsibilities.

“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 opportunity,” he said.

Otti said his administration had been preparing younger Abians for future leadership through initiatives such as the Abia Leadership Academy. The state government describes the academy as a programme designed to develop young people with leadership skills and prepare them for future responsibilities.

He disclosed that 1,086 young people had graduated from the academy’s 2026 Youth Leadership Boot Camp, which was organised in collaboration with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University.

“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,” Otti said.