The Labour Party in Abia State has debunked claims that Governor Alex Otti is supporting President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.
The clarification follows remarks made by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, who suggested that all five governors in the South-East region, irrespective of party affiliation, are backing President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Speaking to reporters in Umuahia on Thursday, the Abia State Labour Party Chairman, Mazi Emmanuel Otti, dismissed Umahi’s statement as speculative.
“No, he (Umahi) didn’t say Governor Otti and the other South-East governors are supporting the President’s re-election in 2027. What he said was, ‘they will.’ Umahi was simply making a postulation,” Mazi Otti explained.
He added that the governor had not conveyed any such stance to the party.
“The governor has not told us anything like that. So for now, it remains speculation. We didn’t hear it from the governor—Umahi merely postulated.”
Speaking on the upcoming visit of President Tinubu to Abia State to commission the Port Harcourt Road project in Aba, the LP Chairman said the invitation was purely for official purposes.
“That is the official function of the President. He is the President of the country, and commissioning projects is part of his statutory role. Abia is part of Nigeria, and therefore it is within the President’s jurisdiction to visit and perform such functions,” Mazi Otti stated.
When asked about the possibility of any political declarations being made during the visit, he said, “I wouldn’t preempt either the governor or the President. Let’s wait and see what they say when the President visits.”
Earlier this week, Senator Umahi made the controversial remark during the South-East Zonal Executive Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu, claiming that South-East governors are already aligned with President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, despite party differences.
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