Concerns are mounting within the opposition Labour Party (LP) amid speculations of an imminent wave of defections involving prominent members, including Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. Saturday Vanguard learned that some of these members are awaiting the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final stance on the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the party’s leadership dispute before taking action. A senior party source, who requested anonymity due to the delicate nature of the issue, revealed that Governor Otti is already in talks with the APC, negotiating “personal terms.” The source said, “The governor is yet to move because his conditions have not yet been met. “He wants the APC leadership to grant him and all members of his State House of Assembly as well as the National Assembly to be given a right of first refusal with respect to the 2027 tickets. “The party is asking him to join in his own capacity, promising to make that concession, arguing that extending the same courtesies to his lawmakers had the potential of throwing the party into turmoil. One thing I know for sure is that negotiations have reached an advanced stage.” Governor Alex Otti and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, have distanced themselves from the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC). Instead, they have backed the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee, which they both played key roles in establishing. It’s also worth noting that Otti openly supported his loyalists in Abia State to defect to political parties of their choice for the November 2024 local government elections. Most of them joined the Zenith Labour Party, securing 15 out of 17 seats, while the Young Progressives Party (YPP) claimed the remaining two. Otti, said at the time, “I can assure you that I am in LP. The crisis in LP made a lot of our supporters go elsewhere. Our people know those who would deliver the goods. “As our people say, you know the child you would send out that would not disgrace you when they give him food. Even if he is hungry, he will refuse to eat. “I believe that was what has happened in this case, right from the time I stood up to contest the election in 2015. When I left PDP to join APGA, our people followed me, and I won that election then. “APGA has not won even one councillorship before that time, and then, we took almost half of the House of Assembly seats in 2015. “So, sometimes, people recognise that political parties are empty platforms and that when you muddle up things in your political parties, you give advantage, create opportunities for your competitors and that was what happened in this last election. “I authorised my followers to join any political party that they liked and the majority of them moved into other political parties. I remain in the Labour Party. “Anytime I am going to leave, that is if there is any need to leave, you would be properly informed.”