Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has explained his position on President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, saying he is not in a position to oppose the President because of his role as a governor and member of the National Economic Council.
Otti made the clarification during an exclusive interview with Arise Television on Friday while responding to questions about whether his support for Tinubu amounted to a “comfortable arrangement” between him, a Labour Party governor, and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The governor said Tinubu had the right to contest the 2027 presidential election, adding that openly opposing his candidacy while being part of the government could lead to “implosion”.
“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, distinguished between supporting the Tinubu administration and having a presidential candidate for the Labour Party in the 2027 election.
When asked whether he was supporting Tinubu’s re-election, Otti said he had previously made it clear that he had a presidential candidate for the Labour Party.
When the interviewer suggested that the candidate was Tinubu, the governor rejected the suggestion.
“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.
Asked whether he meant a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.”
On whether he was therefore supporting Tinubu, Otti said he could not openly oppose the President given his position in government.
“What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?” he asked.
Otti explained that, as a governor and member of the National Economic Council, he was involved in discussions and decisions concerning 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.
The governor said he preferred to raise any disagreements with the President during government meetings rather than openly oppose him.
“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.
Otti also said some of Tinubu’s policies aligned with his own views, citing the removal of the fuel 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.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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