Labour Party chieftain says Abia Governor has never endorsed President Tinubu’s re-election bid, insists his positive comments about the administration should not be mistaken for political support.

The Labour Party Chairman in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, Hon. Ogbuagu A. Orji, has claimed that Governor Alex Otti is backing former presidential candidate Peter Obi for the 2027 presidential election, dismissing suggestions that the governor supports President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

Orji made the assertion on Monday, November 2, 2026, while speaking after a Labour Party stakeholders’ meeting in Agbaja, Nkporo, where he addressed growing questions surrounding Otti’s political position ahead of the next general elections.

The Ohafia LP chairman argued that Otti had never publicly declared support for Tinubu’s re-election, insisting that the governor’s positive remarks about the President’s administration should not be interpreted as an endorsement of his bid to remain in office beyond 2027.

According to Orji, the Abia governor’s comments were limited to acknowledging and supporting certain policies of the Tinubu administration and should not be confused with an outright political endorsement.

He maintained that Otti’s position on governance and specific government policies was separate from his political allegiance ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.

Orji also insisted that Abia State remained firmly behind Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform.

He further warned that Labour Party members whose political positions contradict what he described as the governor’s political direction could face disciplinary measures.

The comments come amid growing attention to Otti’s political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly following his reported description of himself as a fan of the Tinubu administration and his earlier indication that he was not opposed to the President seeking re-election.

Otti’s reported remarks have generated questions about whether his appreciation of aspects of the Tinubu administration signals a willingness to support the President politically in 2027.

However, Orji’s latest comments represent his interpretation of the governor’s position and do not, on their own, establish an official endorsement of Peter Obi by Otti.

The Abia governor has yet to provide the clarification needed to conclusively establish whether he intends to support Obi's 2027 presidential ambition or back another candidate.

As political alignments begin to take shape ahead of the 2027 general elections, Otti’s eventual position could become an important issue in determining the direction of the Labour Party in Abia State.