Abia State Governor Alex Otti has explained his support for President Bola Tinubu, saying his position reflects his responsibilities as a governor and member of the National Economic Council. He also maintained that he has a Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Key Highlights
- Otti said his support for Tinubu is shaped by his role as governor and NEC member.
- He said he was not in a position to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy while participating in federal government affairs.
- The Abia governor said he has a presidential candidate for the Labour Party in 2027.
- Otti said policy disagreements should be raised in government meetings rather than through public opposition while part of government.
- He said some Tinubu administration policies, including petrol subsidy removal, align with his views.
Otti Explains Why He Supports Tinubu
Otti made the clarification during an interview with Arise News on Thursday, September 24, 2026, after being asked whether his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election amounted to a political arrangement between him, a Labour Party governor, and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Otti said his position should be understood in the context of his role as governor and member of the National Economic Council. He said he was involved in decisions and policies discussed through the council, making it difficult to publicly oppose the President while participating in the administration’s affairs.
“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 during the interview.
The governor said openly opposing Tinubu while being part of the government could create what he described as an “implosion.”
Otti Says He Has Labour Party Presidential Candidate
Otti distinguished his support for Tinubu’s presidency from his position on the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2027. When the interviewer suggested that Tinubu was the presidential candidate Otti had previously referred to, the governor rejected the suggestion.
“No, that’s not what I said,” Otti said. When asked whether he was referring to a Labour Party presidential candidate, he responded in the affirmative.
His comments therefore do not, by themselves, amount to a declaration that Tinubu is his preferred Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
‘I Have to Support Him’
Asked directly whether he was supporting Tinubu, Otti questioned what alternative position he could take as a serving governor involved in the Federal Government’s decision-making structure.
“What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?” he said.
Otti said that if he had concerns about government policies, he would raise them during official meetings rather than publicly campaign against 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,” he said.
Otti Backs Some Tinubu Policies
Otti said some policies implemented by the Tinubu administration align with his own views. He specifically cited the removal of the petrol subsidy.
“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,” Otti said.
In an earlier interview published in July, Arise News reported Otti saying he was not opposed to Tinubu seeking a second term, while noting that the electorate would decide the outcome.
Otti’s Position on 2027
Otti’s comments add another dimension to the political discussions surrounding the 2027 presidential election. While he said he supports Tinubu in his capacity as governor and NEC member, he also said he has a Labour Party presidential candidate.
The distinction places his comments in two separate contexts: his role within Nigeria’s federal governance structure and his political affiliation with the Labour Party.
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