2027: Otti Explains Why He Supports Tinubu Despite Remaining in Labour Party

2027: Otti Explains Why He Supports Tinubu Despite Remaining in Labour Party

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has clarified his position on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, saying his support for the President is linked to his responsibilities as a governor and member of the National Economic Council (NEC).

Otti made the clarification during a televised interview after questions emerged over his political relationship with Tinubu and his continued membership of the Labour Party (LP).

The governor said he could not reasonably oppose Tinubu while serving as a state governor and participating in the Federal Government’s decision-making process through the NEC.

According to Otti, his position is based on his role in government and should not be interpreted as an abandonment of the Labour Party or its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Otti explained that he supports Tinubu as the President of Nigeria, while maintaining that he has a separate position regarding the presidential candidate he supports in the 2027 election.

When asked whether Tinubu was his preferred presidential candidate, Otti indicated that he has a candidate within the Labour Party, separating that choice from his support for Tinubu in his capacity as President.

The clarification effectively draws a distinction between Otti’s role as a governor working with the Federal Government and his political position ahead of the next presidential election.

Otti was elected Abia State governor in 2023 on the Labour Party platform and has remained associated with the party despite the departure of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election.

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Obi has since left the Labour Party and is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.

Otti previously said he would remain in the Labour Party despite Obi’s departure, explaining that his decision to stay was independent of Obi’s political movement.

The governor’s latest comments come amid growing political realignment ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Tinubu seeking another term and several opposition parties preparing their candidates.

The issue became particularly prominent after Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike said Otti was backing Tinubu’s re-election.

At the time, Otti’s Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, acknowledged the governor’s cordial relationship with Tinubu but said an explicit confirmation of Otti’s political position would have to come from the governor himself.

Otti has now publicly explained that his support for Tinubu is connected to his responsibilities as governor and NEC member.

He also argued that the President has a constitutional right to seek another term and suggested that disagreements over government policies should be handled through the appropriate government channels rather than public confrontation.

The Abia governor further pointed to areas where he agrees with some policies of the Tinubu administration, including the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he said is consistent with his own economic thinking.

Despite his relationship with the Presidency, Otti has continued to identify with the Labour Party.

The party has also continued to publicly associate itself with the governor. On September 23, Labour Party presidential candidate Dr Sunday Chibuzo Okereke led a solidarity roadshow in Arochukwu, Abia State, where he mobilised support for Otti and other Labour Party candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

The development is significant because Otti’s position could otherwise have been interpreted as a political break with the Labour Party following Obi’s departure.

However, his latest clarification does not amount to an announcement that he has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or abandoned the Labour Party.

Otti remains a Labour Party governor, while maintaining a working relationship with the Tinubu administration at the federal level.

The governor has also previously ruled out seeking the presidency himself after completing his tenure in Abia, saying he does not intend to pursue another major elective political office after leaving the governorship.

His latest comments therefore place his position ahead of 2027 in two separate contexts: his institutional relationship with Tinubu as President and his stated support for a Labour Party presidential candidate in the forthcoming election.

2027: Otti Explains Why He Supports Tinubu Despite Remaining in Labour Party