Abia State Governor Alex Otti has criticized Julius Abure's continued claim of being the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), likening it to "an act of masturbation." Otti made this statement during an appearance on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show,’ while discussing the leadership crisis within the LP.

The leadership struggle has created a division within the party, pitting Abure and his supporters against a caretaker committee led by Nenadi Usman. Otti’s remarks follow a Supreme Court ruling that stated the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to declare Abure as the LP chairman.

Otti also addressed speculations about potential defection plans, firmly stating his commitment to the Labour Party. He said, "Governor Otti is not decamping, and my party (LP) is not on shaky ground; everybody must not be in APC. This is democracy, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held on to his AD, AC, ACN before becoming APC. If not, he wouldn’t be president today. Sometimes you have to also stand for something."

Otti referenced his own political history, noting his previous affiliations with PDP, APGA, and APC. "Let me tell you. I was in PDP. And then from PDP, I went to APGA. I went to APC. I’ve been in APC. So that’s not the issue. The issue is that the party that brought me to power is Labour. And today we have fought and retrieved the Labour Party," he stated.

He concluded by reiterating his stance on Abure's position, stating, "When you go through the Supreme Court judgment, you will know that Abure is just masturbating."