2027 polls: I can’t oppose Tinubu ’s re-election – Abia governor Otti

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said openly opposing President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid as a governor and member of the National Economic Council (NEC) could lead to an “implosion” within government.

Otti stated this on Friday during an interview with Arise Television while responding to questions about his support for Tinubu, despite being a member of the Labour Party (LP).

The governor said his position as a member of NEC, which is involved in federal policy decisions, made it difficult for him to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy.

“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, however, distinguished between his role in the NEC and the LP’s position on the 2027 presidential election.

When asked whether he was supporting Tinubu’s re-election, Otti recalled that he had previously said he had a presidential candidate within the party.

When the interviewer identified Tinubu as the candidate he was supporting, the governor disagreed.

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

Asked whether he was referring to an LP’s presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.”

The interviewer then pressed him on whether he was supporting Tinubu.

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

The governor said his participation in the federal government’s decision-making process meant he was also part of policies and decisions being implemented.

“I had also said that as a governor in this republic, that 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.

Otti said he preferred to raise any disagreement with government policies during official meetings rather than publicly oppose the President.

He argued that opposing Tinubu while remaining part of the government could create internal divisions and affect its operations.

“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.

The Abia governor also said some of Tinubu’s policies aligned with his own views, citing the removal of the petrol subsidy as an example.

According to Otti, the subsidy had become unsustainable, although he acknowledged that others might disagree with his position.

“Quite frankly, there are a lot of things that we have talked about now, that he has implemented, and 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.