Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has distanced himself from claims that all South-East governors have endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027, insisting that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma cannot speak on behalf of the entire region.
Speaking during his monthly media chat on Thursday, Otti said while Uzodimma was entitled to his personal opinion, he lacked the authority to commit other governors to any political position ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“If he said that, it is his right to say it as a governor and as an individual, but he can’t speak for everybody. I’m sure that at the appropriate time, people will take their decision,” Otti said.
The governor maintained that the choice of Nigeria’s next president would ultimately be decided by voters, not endorsements by governors.
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Otti also reaffirmed his loyalty to the Labour Party, stressing that the party would present its own presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2027 election.
“My party is Labour Party. And Labour Party has its own presidential and vice-presidential candidate. To the extent that we have candidates, we support them,” he said.
Despite rejecting Uzodimma’s claim, Otti said he had no objection to President Tinubu seeking a second term, noting that the Constitution guarantees every qualified Nigerian the right to contest elective office.
“Am I against the President running for a second term? Absolutely no. He has a right to run for a second term, and others who also want to run have a right to run,” he stated.
According to him, democracy gives all eligible aspirants the opportunity to contest, while the electorate remains the final arbiter.
“At the end of the day, it’s the ballot box… that will determine what happens.”
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The Abia governor also reiterated his support for the Federal Government’s removal of petrol subsidy, describing the policy as one he had advocated long before becoming governor.
According to Otti, subsidising consumption encourages corruption and is economically unsustainable.
“Subsidising consumption is not the way to go.”
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The comments come days after Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who chairs the South-East Governors’ Forum, announced that the five governors in the region had agreed to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Uzodimma attributed the purported decision to ongoing Federal Government projects in the South-East, including road construction, railway development and the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).
However, the five South-East governors belong to different political parties:
- Hope Uzodimma (Imo) – APC
- Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) – APC
- Peter Mbah (Enugu) – PDP
- Alex Otti (Abia) – Labour Party
- Chukwuma Soludo (Anambra) – APGA
Otti’s remarks effectively contradict Uzodimma’s claim of a unanimous regional endorsement, signalling that there is no collective position among South-East governors on the 2027 presidential election.
