From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja

Following a wave of high-profile defections to the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), party chieftain Chibuike Jonas has urged Governor Alex Otti to return to the fold before it’s too late.

Otti, who previously belonged to the APC, switched to the Labour Party in 2022 and was elected governor on its platform in the 2023 elections.

Jonas, a former chairman of Arochukwu local government, expressed his excitement about the recent influx of defectors, including former speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, and his followers.

“There is no better time to join our party other than now,” Jonas said. “Their arrival will significantly strengthen the party and boost its chances of success in the state.”

Jonas also advised Governor Otti to return to the APC, stating that the party has become the cynosure of all Abians.

“There’s still room for the Governor to rejoin the party’s wheel of burgeoning progress before it becomes too late,” Jonas said. “His return will afford him the opportunity to take his rightful place in the party.”

Jonas believes that the APC is well-positioned to take over the governorship in 2027 and urged Otti to return to the party where he “rightfully belongs.”