Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has rejected claims by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma that all five South-East governors have agreed to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.
Otti said Uzodimma, who chairs the South-East Governors’ Forum, could only express his personal position and could not speak on behalf of every governor in the region.
The Labour Party governor made the clarification on Thursday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, Abia State.
He was responding to comments credited to Uzodimma that the South-East governors had collectively decided to work with Tinubu because of his administration’s projects and policies in the region.
Uzodimma had reportedly made the statement during a meeting with the Imo State Elders Council and traditional rulers in Owerri, where he praised Tinubu’s administration for what he described as an unprecedented commitment to developing the South-East under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The South-East has decided. Our people judge governments by performance and not by political sentiments. The evidence is on the ground,” Uzodimma was quoted as saying.
He added that the five governors had reviewed their options and chosen to support Tinubu because they wanted to be part of what he called the “Project Nigeria.”
However, Otti, disagreed with the idea that the region had reached a collective decision, stressing that each governor had the freedom to make personal political choices.
“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 Abia governor noted that discussions surrounding the 2027 presidential election were still premature, adding that the final decision would ultimately rest with Nigerians through the electoral process.
“I think it’s still early days,” he said.
While distancing himself from Uzodimma’s statement, Otti clarified that he was not against President Tinubu contesting for another term, noting that the President has a constitutional right to seek re-election.
“Am I against the President running for a second term? Absolutely no. He has a right to run for a second term, and others who also want to run have a right to run,” Otti stated.
He emphasized that the outcome of the election would be determined by voters at the ballot box.
“At the end of the day, it’s the ballot box, you and I, that will determine what happens,” he added.
Otti further stated that the Labour Party would participate in the 2027 election with its own presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and that members of the party would naturally support its flag bearers.
“My party is Labour Party. And Labour Party has its own presidential and vice-presidential candidate. To the extent that we have candidates, we support them,” he said.
However, he, stressed that supporting his party’s candidates would not mean creating hostility toward those backing other political options.
“But that doesn’t mean we would go and pick quarrel with everybody,” Otti added.
Beyond the 2027 political debate, the Abia governor also reiterated his support for some of the Federal Government’s economic decisions, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy.
Otti said his position on subsidy removal existed before he became governor, arguing that subsidising consumption was not a sustainable economic approach and had contributed to corruption.
“Subsidising consumption is not the way to go,” he said.
Uzodimma had pointed to federal projects in the South-East, including road construction, rail development, and the establishment of the South East Development Commission, as reasons for supporting Tinubu’s administration and possible re-election.
The issue has attracted attention because the five South-East governors belong to different political parties.
Uzodimma of Imo and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Otti belongs to the Labour Party (LP), while Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo is with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Enugu Governor Peter Mbah has also been linked to discussions about the region’s political direction ahead of 2027.
As political alignments begin to take shape, Otti’s comments highlight that the South-East may not yet have a unified position on the next presidential election.
Source – BarristerNG.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
