The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised Abia State Governor Alex Otti over his position on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, saying the governor should be campaigning for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The NDC’s comments followed an interview in which Mr Otti said he was not in a position to oppose President Tinubu’s candidacy and acknowledged that some of the president’s economic reforms resonated with his own views.
Mr Otti, who remains a member of the Labour Party, said he had his own preferred presidential candidate for 2027 but declined to publicly disclose who he would vote for. He also said he had no intention of opposing Mr Tinubu’s candidacy.
“I’m not in a position to oppose his candidacy,” Mr Otti said in an interview with ARISE News.
He explained that, as a governor and a member of the National Economic Council, he preferred to raise concerns about federal policies within government rather than publicly campaign against the president.
The governor also said the removal of the petrol subsidy was among the federal government’s decisions that aligned with his own thinking. (dailyeconomy.ng)
However, the NDC has questioned Mr Otti’s position, arguing that his political relationship with Mr Obi and his previous support for the former Labour Party presidential candidate should lead him to back the NDC candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
The party has previously challenged Mr Otti to publicly state his preferred presidential candidate, while stressing that Mr Obi is its candidate for the election. (TimesNG.com.ng)
Mr Otti, however, has maintained that he and Mr Obi are not at odds and that the former governor of Anambra State remains free to campaign in Abia.
The disagreement comes as political parties and presidential candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, with Mr Obi now contesting under the NDC after leaving the Labour Party.
Mr Otti has also said he intends to remain in the Labour Party and work towards rebuilding it, despite Mr Obi’s departure. (Vanguard News)
The governor has yet to publicly name the candidate he intends to support in the presidential election.
