Alex Otti says he backs the Labour Party candidate for 2027 while acknowledging Bola Tinubu’s right to seek re-election as President
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has clarified his position on the 2027 presidential election, saying he supports the Labour Party’s candidate, Dr Sunday Chibuzo Okereke, while recognising President Bola Tinubu’s right to seek another term.
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Otti made the clarification during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, September 25, 2026, amid questions over his relationship with the President and his position as a Labour Party governor.
The governor said his political loyalty remained with the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 election and that he had a candidate to support.
“I have a presidential candidate and it is expected that I support my candidate,” Otti said.
The clarification comes after Otti had earlier said he was not in a position to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy because of his role as a governor and member of the National Economic Council.
Otti has now drawn a distinction between acknowledging Tinubu’s constitutional right to contest and supporting the President as his preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
“He has the right to run and nobody can stop him. But I’m in the Labour Party and for now, he has my support,” Otti said.
The Labour Party has adopted Okereke as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s published list of presidential candidates also identifies Okereke as the Labour Party’s candidate.
Okereke’s candidacy has featured prominently in recent Labour Party activities in Abia.
On September 24, he led a solidarity roadshow in Arochukwu, where he mobilised support for Otti and other Labour candidates contesting legislative positions in the state.
During the Arochukwu engagement, Okereke also outlined proposals including zero-based budgeting, stronger local government administration and an institutional reset, while calling for a shift from what he described as a palliative and distributive economy to a productive one.
Otti’s latest comments therefore place his 2027 presidential support within the Labour Party structure, while his working relationship with Tinubu remains relevant to his role in the National Economic Council.
The Abia governor has previously explained that disagreements with Federal Government policies can be raised within official government meetings rather than through public confrontation.
That position reflects the distinction Otti has made between participating in national governance as a state governor and campaigning for a presidential candidate during an election.
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With the 2027 election cycle gathering momentum, Otti’s comments provide a clearer indication of where he stands within the Labour Party’s presidential campaign, while leaving his position on cooperation with the Tinubu administration separate from his electoral preference.
