By Amah
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The political landscape in Abia State may have witnessed a major tremor ahead of the 2027 governorship battle, as Professor Anthony Agbazuere, former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, dramatically abandoned an influential APC-backed political assignment and openly aligned himself with Governor Alex Otti.
Agbazuere’s defection is already sending ripples through the political camps of Abia’s old power bloc because until his resignation, he served as Chairman of a high-level strategic committee reportedly established in March 2026 by three former governors to dislodge Otti and engineer the APC’s return to power in the state.
The committee was inaugurated by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu on behalf of himself, former Governor Theodore Orji and Ikpeazu. The assignment was said to include designing a comprehensive blueprint for electoral victory and governance strategy ahead of 2027.
But in a dramatic political turnaround, Agbazuere on Wednesday stormed Governor Otti’s residence in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South, alongside loyalists and supporters, where he publicly embraced the Labour Party movement.
The former Ikpeazu ally said Governor Otti’s style of leadership and developmental strides convinced him to abandon partisan calculations and support continuity.
The development is particularly significant because Agbazuere was long considered part of the intellectual backbone of the previous political establishment in Abia. His decision, therefore, raises fresh questions about the stability of opposition preparations against Otti’s growing political momentum ahead of 2027.
Receiving the defectors, Governor Otti assured them of equal treatment within the Labour Party, insisting that new entrants would not face discrimination from existing party members. He also urged them to complete formal registration with the party as his administration intensifies ongoing development efforts across the state.
