Abia State Governor Alex Otti has rejected claims made by his Imo counterpart, Hope Uzodimma, that all five South-East governors have agreed to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Addressing journalists during his monthly media chat on Thursday, Otti clarified that Uzodimma, who chairs the South-East Governors’ Forum, could not speak on behalf of every leader in the geopolitical zone.
“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,” Otti stated. “I’m sure that at the appropriate time, people will take their decision.”
The Abia governor emphasised that as a Labour Party member, his loyalty remains with his party’s ticket, confirming that Labour will present its own presidential candidates for the upcoming poll. “To the extent that we have candidates, we support them,” he added.
Nevertheless, Otti affirmed he has no objection to the President seeking a second term, acknowledging Tinubu’s constitutional right to recontest alongside other qualified candidates. Democracy, he noted, grants all eligible citizens the right to stand, while the electorate retains the final say: “At the end of the day, it’s the ballot box… that will determine what happens.”
In the South-East, Uzodimma and Ebonyi’s Francis Nwifuru belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Mbah of Enugu represents the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra belongs to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Otti stands as the lone Labour Party governor.
Despite political differences, Otti reiterated his backing for key Federal Government economic reforms, particularly fuel subsidy removal. Denouncing the practice as a catalyst for corruption, he maintained that “subsidising consumption is not the way to go.”
Uzodimma had previously asserted regional consensus for Tinubu, pointing to major federal infrastructure investments, such as road networks, rail expansion, and the establishment of the South East Development Commission, as grounds for the zone’s unified endorsement.