Investigative: How Tinubu Through Hope Uzodinma Offered Alex Otti A Trade By Barter Deal
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made a trade by barter offer to Abia State governor, Alex Otti in his bid to consolidate his ongoing inroads into the southeast region as political gladiators including governors and other political leaders in the region are declaring their support for his reelection in 2027 and also joining his political party.
Due to speculated northern politicians’ conspiracy against his reelection as well as his dwindling popularity among the core northern muslim states due to his questionable economic and security policies, president Tinubu considers the southern part (Southwest, Southeast, South-south) and the north central region of the federation as inevitably important to his reelection in 2027. Hence, he is desperately pushing to bring the state-governors who are currently not in his political party to join as he aims for substantial votes from these southern states in 2027.
While three out of the five southeast states are currently in the ruling party and governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state, already declared his support for the president’s reelection, governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) appears to be the only southeast state-governor who is outside the president’s camp.
As a result, governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State who doubles as the Renewed Hope ambassador and chairman of the APC’s governors’ forum, has been charged by the president to do everything possible to poach Alex Otti from the Labour Party to the ruling APC.
This is one of the reasons governor Hope Uzodinma visited Alex Otti on the second of January, 2026. Reliant.ng found out that governor Alex Otti had visited Hope Uzodinma in Imo State a few weeks back to seek his support in persuading president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Governor Hope Uzodinma assured his Abia State counterpart that he will use his position as the APC governors’ forum chairman as well as his closeness to the presidency, to persuade president Tinubu about governor Alex Otti’s request even though Alex Otti had visited the president following Kanu conviction and sentence on 20th of November, 2025, to appeal to the president to consider political solution for Kanu.
Hence, On January 2nd, governor Hope Uzodinma who had spoken to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu about Otti’s demand for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s release, told Alex Otti about the president’s response.
The president did not rule out a political solution for Kanu; however, he considers his own political future especially as the north are seemingly aversed to the idea of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu being granted a presidential pardon by his administration. He will further taint his political goodwill in the north if he grants Mazi Nnamdi Kanu presidential pardon before the 2027 general elections. While the president stated that a presidential pardon for Kanu is possible he enjoins the Abia State governor to consider joining the APC in the manner of “you scratch my back, I scratch your back”, that is, trade by barter. According to the president, if Alex Otti joins the APC and works for his reelection, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be released immediately.
Alex Otti looks forward to securing the release of Mazi Nnamdi before the 2027 general elections. He believes that if he secures Kanu’s release, it will promote further his goodwill in the state and will be regarded as one of his greatest accomplishments. He is however concerned about the uncertainty of Kanu’s release before 2027 general elections even if he joins the president’s party; his skeptism is due to the president’s being wary of the northerners who are opposed to Kanu’s release.
