Alex Otti Should Campaign for Obi, Not back Tinubu – NDC

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has said Abia State Governor Alex Otti should be supporting and campaigning for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general election.

The party’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, made the statement on Saturday while reacting to Otti’s decision to support President Bola Tinubu.

Agada said Otti benefited greatly from the political support generated by Obi during the 2023 election, when both politicians were members of the Labour Party.

Obi contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, while Otti emerged as the party’s governorship candidate in Abia State and went on to win the election.

The NDC official argued that Otti’s political position should now be aligned with Obi’s 2027 presidential campaign rather than with Tinubu’s administration.

Agada also criticised Otti’s support for some of Tinubu’s policies, describing the Federal Government’s reforms as harmful to Nigerians. He said the governor’s backing of the President amounted to support for Tinubu’s bid for another term in office.

The comments followed Otti’s recent explanation of his position on Tinubu. The Abia governor has said his support for the President is based partly on his role as a member of the government’s National Economic Council and his assessment of some of the administration’s policies.

Otti has also maintained that supporting Tinubu as a member of government does not necessarily mean that the Labour Party would abandon its own political activities or candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

The latest comments from the NDC have added to the political disagreement surrounding Otti’s position ahead of the election, particularly as Obi prepares to contest the presidency under the NDC platform.

Obi and Otti were both prominent figures in the Labour Party during the 2023 election, but their political paths have since taken different directions, with Obi now contesting under the NDC while Otti remains governor of Abia State.

The disagreement also comes as political parties and their candidates continue to negotiate alliances and define their positions ahead of the 2027 presidential election.