By Opeyemi Adelakun
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has explained his support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, saying his position is influenced by his responsibilities as a governor and member of the National Economic Council.
Otti spoke in an interview with Arise Television on Friday while responding to questions about his support for Tinubu despite remaining a member of the Labour Party.
The governor said he was not in a position to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy while serving as a governor and participating in the Federal Government’s decision-making process.
“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, clarified that supporting Tinubu in his capacity as President was separate from his position on the 2027 presidential election.
Asked whether Tinubu was the presidential candidate he intended to support in 2027, Otti rejected the suggestion, saying he had earlier disclosed that he had a preferred candidate for the Labour Party.
“No, that’s not what I said,” he said when the interviewer identified Tinubu as his candidate.
Asked if he was referring to a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.”
Returning to the question of whether he supported Tinubu, the governor said his position was informed by his role in government.
“What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?” Otti asked.
He explained that, as a governor and member of the National Economic Council, he was involved in discussions and decisions concerning Federal Government policies.
“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 also said disagreements with the President should not necessarily translate into open political opposition when the individual concerned is part of the government.
“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 said some of Tinubu’s policies also aligned with his own views, citing the removal of the petrol subsidy as an example.
“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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