2027: Why I support Tinubu’s re-election — Alex Otti

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Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has explained his position on President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, saying he has to support the President in his capacity as a governor and member of the National Economic Council.

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Otti made the clarification in an exclusive interview aired on Arise Television on Friday, after he was asked whether his support for Tinubu’s re-election amounted to a “comfortable arrangement” between him, a Labour Party governor, and the ruling All Progressives Congress.

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The governor said he was not in a position to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy, adding that doing so while being part of the government could lead to “implosion”.

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“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.

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He, however, distinguished between supporting Tinubu’s administration and having a presidential candidate for the Labour Party in the 2027 election.

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Asked directly whether he was supporting Tinubu for re-election, Otti said he had previously stated that he had a presidential candidate for the Labour Party.

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When the interviewer identified Tinubu as that candidate, Otti rejected the suggestion.

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“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.

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Asked whether he was referring to a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.”

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The interviewer then returned to the question of whether he was supporting Tinubu.

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“What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?” Otti responded.

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He said 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.

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“I had also said that as a governor in this republic, that a lot of the things that are being, in fact, I’m part of all the things that have been done as a member of National Economic Council. So, we should distinguish that.

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“When somebody now says, ‘Oh, you are supporting or you’re not,’ I have to support him,” he said.

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Otti also said his approach to political disagreement was to raise concerns within government meetings rather than openly oppose the President.

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“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.

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“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.

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He added that some of Tinubu’s policies resonated with his own views, citing the removal of the fuel subsidy as an example.

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“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.

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“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

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