Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said his position as governor and member of the National Economic Council leaves him with no choice but to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027, even though he belongs to the opposition Labour Party (LP).

Speaking in an exclusive interview aired on Arise Television on Friday, Otti was asked whether his backing for Tinubu amounted to a “comfortable arrangement” between him and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He agreed with the characterisation, saying he was not in a position to oppose the President’s candidacy.

“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.

The governor explained that being part of government came with obligations that ruled out open opposition to Tinubu, warning that such a stance could trigger “implosion” within the system he serves.

“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.

He said his role on the National Economic Council effectively tied him to decisions taken by the Federal Government, leaving him little room to distance himself from Tinubu’s re-election project.

“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.

Pressed further on whether he was supporting Tinubu for re-election, Otti pointed to earlier remarks in which he said he still had a presidential candidate for the Labour Party. When the interviewer suggested Tinubu was that candidate, he pushed back.

“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.

Asked to clarify whether he meant a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.” Returned to the question of his support for Tinubu, he responded: “What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?”

Otti maintained that Tinubu had every right to contest the 2027 election, and noted that several of the President’s policies aligned with positions he had long held himself, pointing to 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.

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