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Uzodinma speaks for himself on Tinubu’s re-election, not South-East — Otti

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Abia State Governor Alex Otti, has distanced the South-East from Governor Hope Uzodinma’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term, insisting that the Imo State governor expressed only his personal opinion and cannot speak on behalf of the region or its people.

Otti stated this while reacting to Uzodinma’s recent comments supporting President Tinubu’s re-election, stressing that no individual governor has the mandate to commit the entire South-East to any political position.

Speaking during an interview, the Abia governor said decisions on presidential elections ultimately belong to the electorate and not a single political office holder.

“As a governor and as an individual, you can’t speak for everybody,” Otti said.

He maintained that while Uzodinma is entitled to publicly support President Tinubu’s re-election bid, such a position should not be interpreted as representing the collective view of other South-East governors or the people of the region.

“I’m sure there are appropriate people who will take that decision,” he added, suggesting that Nigerians would determine the outcome of the 2027 presidential election through the ballot.

Otti also noted that governments at different levels are expected to support national policies where necessary, but such cooperation should not be mistaken for a blanket political endorsement.

“This is a government, and a government sees all the work from the national to the sub-nationals, to the corporates. There are a lot of policies that are supported,” he said.

His reactions come amid growing political debate over endorsements and alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, following Uzodinma’s public declaration of support for President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.