Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said he will support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027, despite remaining a member of the opposition Labour Party (LP).
Otti made the clarification during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, where he addressed questions about his relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and his position on Tinubu’s 2027 ambition.
The governor was asked whether his support for Tinubu amounted to a “comfortable arrangement” between him and the ruling party. 
Otti agreed with the description, saying his position as a governor and member of the National Economic Council made it difficult for him to openly oppose the President’s re-election bid.
“It works the way you have said. It’s a statement of fact. I am not in a position to oppose his candidacy,” he said.
Otti explained that although he could disagree with some government policies, his membership of the National Economic Council meant he was also part of the broader governance structure through which federal policies and decisions were discussed.
He said openly opposing the President could create unnecessary tension within the system, adding that he preferred to raise disagreements during government meetings.
“And sometimes people don’t understand the 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,” Otti said.
The Abia governor further stressed that his role in the National Economic Council had placed him directly within the process of implementing and discussing 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.
However, Otti appeared to draw a distinction between supporting Tinubu’s re-election and abandoning the Labour Party.
When reminded of his earlier statement that he still had a presidential candidate in the Labour Party, the governor rejected the suggestion that he was referring to Tinubu.
“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring specifically to a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.”
But when pressed again on whether he supported Tinubu’s 2027 bid, he responded: “What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?”
Otti also said Tinubu had the constitutional right to seek another term in office, while noting that some of the President’s policies were consistent with positions he had previously held.
He specifically cited the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he described as unsustainable.
“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.
