2027: Otti Draws Line Between Working With Tinubu and Political Endorsement

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has continued to draw a distinction between maintaining a cordial working relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and offering political support for the President’s 2027 re-election bid.

The issue has assumed growing significance in national political discussions as Otti, elected on the platform of the opposition Labour Party, continues to maintain a cooperative relationship with the APC-led Federal Government.

In the interview, the presenter identified Otti’s “political arrangement with the Tinubu administration” as one of the major subjects discussed alongside governance, infrastructure, electricity and the future of Aba’s economy.

However, the portion of the transcript provided does not contain Otti’s complete response on that political relationship.

Outside the interview, Otti has publicly maintained that cooperation with the Federal Government should not automatically be interpreted as political endorsement.

In July 2026, the Abia governor rejected a claim attributed to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma that South-East governors had endorsed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.

Otti said at the time that no individual could determine how the South-East would vote, stressing that Nigerians themselves would decide through the ballot box. He also reaffirmed his association with the Labour Party and said the party would field a presidential candidate.

Otti further explained that his cordial relationship with Tinubu and his support for some Federal Government policies should be separated from partisan politics.

That position has come under renewed attention following comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who recently said Otti was supporting Tinubu.

Responding to the claim, Abia State Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, told PREMIUM TIMES on September 17, 2026 that Otti’s relationship with the President was “very cordial,” but stopped short of confirming that the governor had endorsed Tinubu’s re-election.

Kanu said any definitive political declaration would have to come directly from Otti “at an appropriate time.”

The development has kept Otti’s exact 2027 presidential position under public scrutiny, particularly because of his continued involvement in Labour Party activities.

Earlier this month, the governor called for greater unity among Labour Party stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections, reinforcing his ongoing political association with the party.

Otti has also recently received defectors into the Labour Party in Abia, including the 2023 Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Dr. Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye.

His position therefore reflects two distinct relationships: a governmental relationship with the Presidency and an ongoing partisan relationship with the Labour Party.

That distinction has become increasingly important as political alignments begin to take shape ahead of 2027.

For now, Otti has publicly acknowledged a cordial relationship with President Tinubu and has supported some Federal Government policies, including subsidy removal, but he has not personally made a public declaration endorsing Tinubu for another term.

The governor has instead maintained that collaboration between different levels of government should not necessarily determine party allegiance or electoral choices.

As the 2027 election cycle gathers momentum, attention is likely to remain on whether Otti maintains that separation between governance and partisan politics or eventually makes a more explicit declaration about the presidential race.