By Kingston Magare 24.7.2026
Abia State governor Alex Otti has distance himself from his Imo State counterpart Hope Uzodimma’s claim that all the Southeast governors are on the same page in supporting President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential elections.
Otti who was speaking in Umuahia Thursday noted that there was never any agreement or a meeting where the governors agreed to back President Tinubu.
“You said the governor of Imo state said something about re-electing the president. I am not sure I have heard that. But 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.
“I’m sure that at the appropriate time, people would take their decision. I think it’s still early days.”
Mr. Uzodimma had made the claim while speaking to Imo state elders’ council and traditional rulers in Owerri on Wednesday.
“The South-east has decided. Our people judge governments by performance and not by political sentiments. The evidence is on the ground,” Uzodimma said.
“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 the Project Nigeria.”
Otti said though he supports Tinubu’s policies, it is the people of Nigeria that will decide his fate and not the governors.
“Am I against the president running for a second term? Absolutely no. It’s the masses of the people that would determine,” he said.
“He has the right to run for a second term. And others who also want to run have a right to run. At the end of the day, it’s the ballot box, you and I, that will determine what happens.
“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.”