Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has clarified where he stands regarding President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027, stating that, as a governor and a member of the National Economic Council, he is obliged to back the president.
Otti offered this clarification during an exclusive interview broadcast on Arise Television on Friday, when he was asked if his backing of Tinubu’s re-election represented a “comfortable arrangement” between him—a Labour Party governor—and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The governor stated that he was in no position to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy, noting that doing so while serving within the government could result in an “implosion.”
“It works the way you have said. It’s a statement of fact. I am not in a position to oppose his candidacy,” Otti said.
Yet he made a distinction between backing Tinubu’s administration and having a presidential candidate for the Labour Party in the 2027 election.
When asked point-blank if he was backing Tinubu for re-election, Otti replied that he had already said he had a presidential candidate for the Labour Party.
Once the interviewer named Tinubu as that candidate, Otti turned down the suggestion.
“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.
When asked if he meant a presidential candidate from the Labour Party, Otti answered, “Yes.” ↻
The interviewer then went back to asking whether he was backing Tinubu.
“What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?” Otti responded.
He stated that Tinubu had a right to contest the 2027 election and noted that, as a state governor and member of the National Economic Council, he was involved in some of the decisions and policies of the Federal Government.
“I had also said that as a governor in this republic, a lot of the things that are being done, in fact, I’m part of all the things that have been done as a member of the National Economic Council. So, we should distinguish that.
“When somebody now says, ‘Oh, you are supporting or you’re not,’ I have to support him,” he said.
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Otti disclosed that his approach to political disagreement was to raise concerns within government meetings rather than openly oppose the president.
“And sometimes people don’t understand opposition. When you say opposition, and you are part of a government, then what you are driving towards is implosion.
“So if I do have a problem with anything, I’ll sit down in one of our meetings and I’ll make my point. So I’m not going to oppose his candidacy,” he added.
He also mentioned that some of Tinubu’s policies resonated with his own views, citing the removal of the fuel subsidy as an example.
“Quite frankly, there are a lot of things that we have talked about now, that he has implemented, that resonate with me and my thinking.
“People don’t have to agree with me, but from where I sit, I know that, for instance, the fuel subsidy was even unsustainable,” Otti said
