Abia State Governor Alex Otti has rejected claims by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma that all South-East governors have agreed to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, insisting that no individual can speak on behalf of the entire region.
Otti made the remarks on Thursday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, where he responded to Uzodimma’s recent comments on the 2027 presidential election.
The controversy began after Governor Uzodimma, while addressing the Imo State Elders Council and traditional rulers in Owerri, said the five South-East governors had agreed to back President Tinubu’s second-term bid.
According to Uzodimma, the decision was based on what he described as the President’s commitment to the development of the South-East under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We, the five governors of the South-East, have reviewed all options and decided that we will work with President Bola Tinubu because we want to be part of Project Nigeria,” Uzodimma said.
Reacting to the claim, Otti said Uzodimma was entitled to his personal opinion but could not speak for every governor 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,” Otti said.
He added that it was still too early to make decisions about the 2027 election, noting that Nigerians would ultimately decide through the ballot box.
“I’m sure that at the appropriate time, people would take their decision. I think it’s still early days,” he said.
The Labour Party governor also clarified that he has nothing against President Tinubu seeking a second term, stressing that the Constitution gives every qualified candidate the right to contest.
“Am I against the president running for a second term? Absolutely no. He has the right to run for a second term. Others who also want to run also have a right to run. At the end of the day, it’s the ballot box that will determine what happens,” Otti stated.
He, however, maintained that the Labour Party would support its own presidential candidate in the next general election.
“My party is Labour Party and it has its own presidential and vice presidential candidate. To the extent that we have candidates, we will support them. But that doesn’t mean we would go and pick quarrel with everybody,” he added.
Otti has previously praised some of the Federal Government’s economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy, describing them as bold and necessary.
Among the five South-East governors, Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Peter Mbah (Enugu) belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Alex Otti is a member of the Labour Party (LP). Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
