Gov. Alex Otti of Abia State.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State Thursday responded to Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State’s recent comment that all five South-East States governors have committed to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term bid.
Otti spoke during his July media briefing in Umuahia.
During a meeting with the Imo State Elders Council and traditional rulers in Owerri on Wednesday, Uzodimma said Tinubu had demonstrated “unprecedented commitment” to the development of the South-East under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Said Uzodimma: “The South-east has decided. Our people judge governments by performance and not by political sentiments. The evidence is on the ground. “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”.
Responding to the Imo State governor’s comments, Otti said although, Uzodimma had the right to express his opinion as governor and in his personal capacity, he should not speak on behalf of every South-East State governor.
Said Otti: “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.
“I’m sure that at the appropriate time, people would take their decision. I think it’s still early days”.
Otti, however, reiterated his long-standing support for some of the Federal Government’s economic policies, including the removal of petrol subsidy, saying his position on the issues predated his election as Governor.
Said he: “Am I against the President running for a second term? Absolutely no. It’s the masses of the people that would determine.
“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”.
The Labour Party (LP) governor added that while his party would support its own presidential candidate in the next election, it would not stop anyone from exercising their constitutional right to contest.
Stated Otti: “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”.
Otti has repeatedly voiced his approval of Tinubu’s economic policies, recently describing them as “courageous”.
Three of the South-East governors — Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, Uzodimma of Imo State, and Peter Mbah of Enugu State— are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Otti is of the LP and Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State recently secured his second term on the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) platform.
