Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has explained why he cannot publicly oppose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's bid for a second term in 2027, citing his membership in the National Economic Council as a key factor shaping his position.
Speaking during an exclusive interview aired on Arise Television on Friday, September 25, 2026, Otti said his role within the federal government structure leaves no room for an opposing stance. The interview, as reported by The Punch, saw the governor challenged on whether his backing for the President represented a convenient political arrangement between a Labour Party governor and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Otti on His Position Within Government
The governor said his membership of the National Economic Council meant he was already involved in many of the decisions and policies coming out of the Federal Government. He argued that publicly opposing Tinubu's candidacy under those circumstances could trigger "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.
He went further to explain that his understanding of opposition within a government setting was different from what critics might expect. "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.
Policy Alignment with Tinubu's Administration
Otti also said several of Tinubu's policy decisions aligned with his own thinking, pointing to the removal of the fuel subsidy as one 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," he said.
The governor acknowledged that Tinubu had every right to contest the 2027 election and said his involvement in federal governance meant a clean separation from the administration was not realistic.
Otti Insists Labour Party Has Its Own Candidate
Despite his comments on supporting Tinubu, Otti was careful to draw a distinction between his personal obligations as a sitting governor and the Labour Party's own presidential ambitions for 2027.
When the interviewer suggested that Tinubu was the presidential candidate Otti had earlier referenced, the governor rejected it outright. "No, that's not what I said," he said, confirming that he was referring to a Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Asked point-blank whether he was endorsing Tinubu, Otti responded with a rhetorical question: "What do you expect me to say? To say I'm not supporting him?"
Tinubu's 2027 Re-election Bid Receives Boost in Abia
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that residents of Ugwueke Ezeukwu Ward in Abia State held a solidarity walk in support of Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027. They also backed the re-election of Benjamin Kalu and other candidates on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in the state. The residents attributed their decision to Kalu's achievements in the ward since he was elected into office.
