Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has explained his support for President Bola Tinubu, saying his position is largely connected to his responsibilities as a state governor and member of the National Economic Council.
Otti made the clarification during an interview with Arise News on Friday, following questions about his relationship with Tinubu and the 2027 presidential election.
The governor, who was elected on the platform of the Labour Party, said his role in the National Economic Council places him within the structure through which federal and state governments participate in discussions and decisions concerning national economic policies.
“What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?” Otti said when asked about his position on Tinubu.
He explained that, as governor and NEC member, he is involved in some of the decisions and policies of the Federal Government and therefore believes disagreements should be addressed within government meetings rather than through public confrontation.
“I have to support him,” Otti said, referring to his responsibilities as a governor and NEC member.
The governor’s comments come amid increased political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Tinubu seeking another term and political parties preparing their presidential candidates and campaign structures.
Otti’s position has generated attention because he remains a Labour Party governor while Tinubu is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
The governor, however, has previously distinguished between recognising Tinubu’s constitutional right to contest and endorsing his re-election bid.
In July, Otti rejected a claim by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma that the five South-East governors had agreed to support Tinubu’s second-term bid. Otti said Uzodimma could express his own position but could not speak for every governor in the region. He also said the Labour Party had its own presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Otti said at the time that he was not opposed to Tinubu seeking another term, noting that the President had a right to contest, just as other qualified Nigerians had the right to seek the presidency.
In March, he similarly said he was “not in a position to oppose” Tinubu’s candidacy, explaining that his role as a governor required him to work within the federal structure and abide by decisions reached through the National Economic Council, even when he did not agree with everything discussed.
The latest interview nevertheless contains an additional political distinction. According to reporting on the interview, Otti said he has his own presidential candidate for the 2027 election. The report did not identify that candidate.
That means Otti’s statements distinguish between his working relationship with Tinubu as President and his personal position concerning the presidential contest.
His relationship with Tinubu has also attracted political attention in Abia and the wider South-East. Last week, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said Otti was supporting Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. At the time, Otti’s Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, said the governor and the President had a “very cordial” relationship but indicated that any definitive declaration on the 2027 election would have to come from Otti himself.
Otti has also remained publicly critical of the idea that one South-East governor could determine the political choices of the entire region. He has repeatedly said that voters would ultimately decide the outcome of the 2027 election through the ballot.
Meanwhile, Otti recently ruled out seeking the presidency himself after completing his tenure as Abia governor. He said he intends to retire from active politics and give younger Nigerians an opportunity to take up leadership positions.
His latest explanation therefore places his relationship with Tinubu within two separate contexts: his institutional responsibilities as governor and NEC member, and his personal political position concerning the 2027 presidential race.
While Otti has said he supports Tinubu in his capacity as governor, his reported statement that he has a separate presidential candidate means that his comments should not automatically be interpreted as a formal endorsement of Tinubu’s 2027 campaign without further clarification from the governor.
