Otti Says He Cannot Oppose Tinubu, And The Governors Are Lining Up
Abuja · Saturday 26 September 2026
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said he is not in a position to oppose President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027. Separately, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has backed the Progressive Governors Forum's position on Nyesom Wike's so-called Rainbow Coalition. Both statements point the same way.
Why governors matter more than rallies
In a Nigerian general election, a sitting governor controls the state party machinery, local government chairmen, patronage and a great deal of the ground operation that turns support into votes on the day. A candidate can fill a stadium. A governor decides which way a state's structures are pointing when the polls open.
| Governor | State | Signal this week |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Otti | Abia | Will not oppose Tinubu's re-election |
| Dauda Lawal | Zamfara | With the Progressive Governors Forum against Wike's coalition |
Neither statement is an endorsement in the formal sense. Both are realignment.
Candidates campaign. Governors count. The count is moving toward the incumbent.
What it means for the opposition
An opposition campaign that cannot hold governors has to win through turnout and anger alone, which is harder in states where the machinery is working for the other side. The next few weeks of defections and statements will say more about 2027 than anything the candidates themselves announce.
Reporting: Blueprint Newspapers, Legit.ng and New Telegraph.
Read next
- The EFCC Has Arrested A Suspended City Boy Movement Leader
- Tinubu Says He Is Correcting Past Mistakes, And Asks For More Time
- Africa Magic Has Made A Documentary For Olu Jacobs
Whatever the news does this week, somebody at home still has to eat. The Send Home boxes land as a food shop, a care package or a learning kit. Naira pricing here.
