Alex Otti Fires Back at Fuel Subsidy Advocates: “They Don’t Mean Well for Nigeria” — Says He Won’t Oppose Tinubu’s Candidacy

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has reignited Nigeria’s already heated fuel-subsidy debate, declaring that removing the subsidy was the right decision and arguing that those praying for its return do not mean well for the country. In the same recent interview with Arise News anchor Ojy Okpe, Otti also said he would not oppose President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 candidacy—adding another political layer to an economic argument already producing plenty of national “gbas-gbos.”

Alex Otti: Subsidy Is Not Coming Back to His Economic Party

Alex Otti’s position is not exactly a new romance with the Tinubu administration. He said he has opposed fuel subsidies for years and believes government resources should support production rather than subsidise consumption. He also recalled backing subsidy removal in 2020, arguing that the old arrangement had become financially unsustainable and vulnerable to abuse.

The governor acknowledged that removing the subsidy created pain for Nigerians but maintained that the policy was necessary. His argument arrives at a particularly sensitive moment: petrol prices have surged again in 2026, with Reuters reporting prices around ₦1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja amid higher global crude prices. Meanwhile, the Federal Government says subsidy removal generated ₦15.8 trillion in resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

Then Comes Tinubu: Alex Otti Says He Won’t Oppose His Candidacy

Otti’s second headline-making statement concerned President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 bid. The Abia governor said he would not oppose Tinubu’s candidacy, explaining that as a governor and member of the National Economic Council, he participates in discussions surrounding federal policies. He also argued that publicly opposing a president while participating in his government could create what he described as “implosion.”

At the same time, reports of the interview indicate that Alex Otti distinguishes between working with and supporting the sitting Federal Government and making a separate electoral choice for 2027. He said several Tinubu policies resonate with his own thinking, particularly subsidy removal, while maintaining that people can interpret his political position differently. In other words, Nigerian politics has once again arrived at that familiar neighborhood where one person can say, “I work with you,” without necessarily saying, “Put my name on your campaign bus.”

For now, Otti has placed his position firmly on the record: he considers subsidy removal necessary, rejects the idea of simply restoring the old arrangement without explaining how it would be funded, and says he will not oppose Tinubu’s candidacy. With fuel prices, economic hardship and the 2027 political contest all moving simultaneously, OGM News NG will continue watching this story as the debate over who pays, who benefits and who gets politically blamed continues.