Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said that Governor Hope Uzodinma’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term does not reflect the position of the South-East, insisting that the Imo State governor spoke in his personal capacity.

Otti stated this while reacting to Uzodinma’s recent declaration of support for President Tinubu’s re-election, stressing that no governor has the authority to speak on behalf of the entire region or determine its political direction.

According to the Abia governor, every elected official is entitled to personal political preferences, but such views should not be presented as the collective position of the South-East.

He added that the decision on who emerges as Nigeria’s next president rests with the electorate, not with individual political office holders.

Otti maintained that while Uzodinma has the right to back President Tinubu’s second-term ambition, the endorsement should not be interpreted as representing other governors in the region or the people of the South-East.

He further noted that cooperation among different levels of government on policies and programmes is a normal aspect of governance and should not be misconstrued as a political endorsement.

The governor’s comments come amid increasing political discussions ahead of the 2027 general elections following Uzodinma’s public declaration of support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid.