Abia State Governor Alex Otti has dismissed suggestions that all South-East governors have agreed to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying no individual governor has the authority to speak on behalf of the entire region.
Speaking during his monthly media chat on Thursday, Otti responded to recent comments by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who said the five South-East governors had resolved to back Tinubu for a second term.
Otti said Uzodimma was entitled to express his personal views but stressed that such opinions should not be presented as the collective position of all governors in the region.
“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. I’m sure that at the appropriate time, people will take their decision,” Otti said.
The Labour Party governor also reaffirmed his loyalty to his political party, noting that the party would present its own presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 general election.
According to him, the Labour Party naturally supports its candidates during elections.
Otti, however, clarified that he has no objection to President Tinubu seeking another term in office, saying the Nigerian Constitution gives every qualified citizen the right to contest elections.
He added that democracy ultimately allows voters—not politicians—to determine who occupies public office through the ballot.
“At the end of the day, it’s the ballot box that will determine what happens,” he said.
Beyond politics, the governor also defended some of the Federal Government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy.
Otti argued that fuel subsidy promotes corruption and reiterated his long-standing position that government should not continue subsidising consumption.
The comments come after Governor Uzodimma, who chairs the South-East Governors’ Forum, said the region had resolved to support Tinubu’s re-election, citing ongoing federal infrastructure projects such as road construction, railway development and the establishment of the South East Development Commission.
The five South-East states are currently governed by members of different political parties. Uzodimma and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alex Otti represents the Labour Party (LP), while Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The differing political affiliations have continued to fuel debate over whether the region can adopt a unified position ahead of the 2027 presidential election.