Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said opposing President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid while serving as a governor and member of the National Economic Council could lead to an “implosion”, explaining why he has to support the President despite belonging to the Labour Party.
Otti stated this during an exclusive interview aired on Arise Television on Friday, following questions about whether his support for Tinubu’s re-election amounted to a “comfortable arrangement” between him, a Labour Party governor, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said he was not in a position to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy, given his role in the government and involvement in federal policy decisions.
“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 position as a member of the National Economic Council and the Labour Party’s choice of a presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
When asked whether he was supporting Tinubu for re-election, Otti recalled that he had previously stated that he had a presidential candidate for the Labour Party.
After the interviewer identified Tinubu as the candidate, the governor rejected the suggestion.
“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring to a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.”
The interviewer subsequently 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 Abia governor said Tinubu had the right to contest the 2027 presidential election, adding that his membership of the National Economic Council meant he was involved in decisions and policies of the Federal Government.
“I had also said that as a governor in this republic, that a lot of the things that are being, in fact, I’m part of all the things that have been done as a member of 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 explained that he preferred to express disagreements with government policies during official meetings rather than publicly oppose the President.
He warned that openly opposing Tinubu while remaining part of the government could create internal divisions and undermine 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 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, adding that people were not necessarily required to agree with his position.
“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,” Otti said.
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