Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said he intends to retire from active politics after completing his tenure, adding that he wants younger people to take over leadership positions.
Otti made the declaration while discussing his political future and his views on political succession in Nigeria.
The governor said he was not interested in contesting for the Senate or pursuing another elective position after his tenure as governor.
‘I want young people to take over’
Otti said his intention was to leave active politics and create room for younger Nigerians to assume leadership responsibilities.
“I keep saying it, I’m not interested in anything else. I don’t even want to go to the Senate. I’m not interested,” he said.
He also rejected the idea of becoming a political godfather after leaving office.
The governor said political leaders should not seek to remain influential indefinitely and argued that younger people should have opportunities to contribute to governance.
Succession after tenure
Otti’s current tenure as Abia governor runs until 2027, while he is eligible to seek a second term under Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
His latest statement therefore concerns his political plans after completing his tenure rather than an immediate withdrawal from electoral politics.
Other reports of his remarks indicate that he has spoken of completing his tenure and then stepping away from active politics rather than pursuing a Senate seat or another political office.
The governor’s comments come amid a wider national discussion about political succession, generational change and the role of former officeholders in determining who succeeds them.
‘No political godfather’
Otti also said he did not want to become a political godfather who controls political decisions from outside elected office.
Instead, he said he wanted younger people to have the opportunity to take responsibility for governance.
His position places the question of political succession in Abia within a broader debate over whether serving political leaders should seek to shape their political legacies through direct involvement in future administrations.
For now, Otti has publicly stated that his preferred course is to leave active politics after completing his tenure and allow a younger generation to assume leadership.