Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has distanced the South-East region from the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in 2027 by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.
​Speaking through his media team in Umuahia on Friday, July 24, Governor Otti clarified that Governor Uzodinma expressed a purely personal opinion and does not speak on behalf of the political leaders or residents of the South-East region.
​”Governor Hope Uzodinma’s declaration is strictly his personal stance and that of his political party. He lacks the mandate to speak for the entire South-East or commit the geopolitical zone to any political trajectory for 2027,” the statement read.
The Abia State chief executive emphasized that no collective meeting of South-East governors, traditional rulers, or political stakeholders had taken place to decide on a regional consensus for the 2027 presidential election.
Governor Otti noted that his immediate priority remains delivering democratic dividends, infrastructural overhaul, and economic revitalisation to the people of Abia State rather than engaging in premature 2027 political campaigns.
As the sole Labour Party (LP) governor in the region, Otti reiterated that the South-East remains politically diverse, with citizens holding varying political alignments that cannot be swept under a single endorsement.
​The reaction follows remarks by Governor Hope Uzodinma, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, who publicly declared support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid, framing it as a shared position within the zone.
​Political observers note that Governor Otti’s swift rebuttal highlights the widening political divisions within the South-East as major political actors begin positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
