…Clears air on Uzodimma’s S’East govs’ support claim …As Abia hits national top three, leads health index, acquires more electric buses By Steve Oko Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has clarified his position on President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying he is not opposed to the President exercising his constitutional right to seek re-election, while stressing that the decision on who emerges victorious in 2027 rests solely with the Nigerian electorate. Otti, a member of the Labour Party, made the clarification while responding to claims by the Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, that all five South-East governors had resolved to support President Tinubu’s re-election. Uzodimma had attributed the alleged consensus to ongoing Federal Government projects in the region, including road construction, and the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).
Responding to a question on whether such a collective decision had been taken by the South-East governors, Otti said that every governor and political actor was entitled to hold and express personal political views. “I am not sure I heard that, but if Governor Hope Uzodimma said so, it is his right as a governor and as an individual. I’m sure that at the appropriate time, people will take their decision.
I think it is still early in the day to discuss that. “But let us also be clear that this is a government and governance flows from the national level through the sub-national levels to the local governments,” Otti said. The governor maintained that President Tinubu, like every qualified Nigerian, has the constitutional right to contest for elective office.
“Am I against the President running for a second term? He has a right to run for a second term, and others who also want to run have a right to run,” he said. According to him, democracy guarantees every qualified aspirant the right to seek office, while the electorate retains the ultimate power to determine the outcome through the ballot box.
“At the end of the day, it is the ballot box that will determine what happens,” he added. Reiterating the point, Otti said: “He (Tinubu) has the right to seek a second term, just as others who wish to contest have the right to do so. At the end of the day, it is the ballot box that will determine what hap…
Summary from source