Abia State Governor Alex Otti has declared support for the Labour Party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections, while stating that President Bola Tinubu currently has his support.

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV aired on Friday, Otti said he would back his party’s nominee.

“I have a presidential candidate and it is expected that I support my candidate,” the governor stated.

Otti noted that Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has the constitutional right to seek re-election and that no one can stop him.

“He (Tinubu) has the right to run and nobody can stop him. But I’m in the Labour Party and for now, he has my support,” Otti said.

The Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election is Dr. Sunday Chibuzo Okereke.

The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and the party have sued the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, over the alleged imposition of a N200 million campaign fee on presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials in the state.

The suit, shared with our correspondent on Sunday, was marked HU/214/2026 and filed before the Abia State High Court, Umuahia Judicial Division, on September 17, by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, alongside Ire Egert-Olusesi, Ridwan Azeez, Oluwabusola Oluwaniyi and Joseph Lukman of Musibau Adetunbi, SAN & Co., Ibadan.

They joined the Abia State Attorney-General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency and the State House of Assembly as defendants, and asked that all four be served within 30 days.

Makinde and the APM argued that the fee imposed by the signage agency was unconstitutional and violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and other relevant laws.

They are seeking, among other reliefs, an order setting aside regulations made by ABSAA concerning political campaigns, including the N200m fee imposed on presidential candidates or any other amount.

They also asked the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from enforcing the fee and from “removing, defacing, destroying or obstructing” the placement of their campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements within Abia State.

The plaintiffs asked the court to declare the fee inconsistent with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other federal legislation, and therefore null and void ab initio.

Makinde and the APM argued that INEC was exclusively empowered to make rules and regulations concerning political campaigns, relying on Item F, Section 15(a) and (f) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution and Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.

They contended that fixing the N200m fee amounted to using the state signage agency to shut out non-incumbent candidates from public visibility, and to the specific advantage of a ruling party better able to absorb such costs.

They maintained that while outdoor signage regulation falls within states’ residual powers, that power could not be exercised to frustrate or override federal electoral legislation, citing Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution on the primacy of validly enacted federal law.

The supporting affidavit was deposed to by one Aisha Abdullahi Abubakar, described as APM’s National Welfare Officer.

She stated that the claimants became aware of the fee while preparing for a nationwide campaign tour that covers all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The plaintiffs said that unless the court intervened, they would suffer irreparable harm to their constitutional right to seek public office, and the principle of a level playing field for all contestants would be undermined.

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, says some electricity consumers have asked him to “slow down” improvements in power supply because their freezers are now working continuously.

Tegbe made the remark on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.

According to the Minister, some areas that previously experienced prolonged power outages are now receiving up to 18 hours of electricity daily.

He said some consumers had contacted him to complain that the improved supply was causing their freezers to operate continuously.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing. That is what freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” Tegbe said.

The Minister recalled that during his Senate screening, he had promised Nigerians that noticeable improvements in electricity supply would begin within three to six months.

He, however, acknowledged the challenges confronting the sector, noting that some electricity infrastructure across the country is more than 40 years old.

Tegbe said the Federal Government was systematically replacing obsolete infrastructure and introducing new facilities to improve the reliability of electricity supply.

He also expressed concern over the vandalism of critical power infrastructure, revealing that three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had been brought down by vandals.

According to him, the affected towers formed part of the infrastructure supplying electricity to Kebbi State and extending to Niger Republic.

He said the vandals attacked the foundations of the towers before bringing them down and cutting parts of the structures for sale in the scrap market.

Tegbe disclosed that the Federal Government had established a joint working committee involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to monitor and protect national electricity assets.

“You will not believe how many towers get pulled down by vandals,” he said.

He added that efforts were underway to ensure vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure is treated as a serious criminal offence.

Yakubu Gowon University Solar Project

Speaking on the university project, Tegbe said the facility comprises a 3.3-megawatt solar array, 3MW AC output capacity and battery storage to supply electricity to critical facilities within the institution.

He said the project would power lecture halls, laboratories, ICT facilities, administrative buildings, campus lighting and other essential services.

According to him, more than 58,726 students are expected to benefit from the project, which includes 6,078 photovoltaic panels and 388 streetlights installed across the university.

The Minister said the project also created 3,201 jobs during its implementation.

He explained that the battery storage capacity could be expanded to provide electricity to additional parts of the university, including student hostels.

Tegbe said the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, would collaborate with the university to address areas of the campus that still require improved lighting.

He also urged the institution to use the facility to promote research into renewable energy, battery storage, smart metering, energy management, grid integration, cybersecurity and other areas of modern energy technology.

The Managing Director of the REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the project as a significant milestone under the Energizing Education Programme.

Aliyu said the programme should not be assessed solely by the amount of electricity generated, but also by its impact on students, academic activities, research and the overall learning environment.

He said reliable electricity would improve laboratory operations, strengthen digital services and reduce pressure on university operating budgets.

The Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project, Olufemi Akinyelure, said the wider development opportunities created by reliable electricity should also be considered in assessing the project.

He said investment in education remained important because powering universities goes beyond lighting buildings to supporting learning, innovation and national development.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, commended the Federal Government and the Minister for implementing the Energizing Education Programme.

Abaribe said reliable electricity was fundamental to the development of Nigeria’s education system, recalling that power supply in universities was more dependable during his time as a student.

He, however, stressed that communities must play an active role in protecting public infrastructure to ensure its sustainability.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, said dependable electricity was essential to the institution’s academic mission.

Fawehinmi said a modern university could not effectively conduct teaching, research, laboratory activities and digital services without reliable power supply.

He thanked the Federal Government and the REA for the intervention, describing the solar hybrid project as a major infrastructure investment in the university.

The Vice-Chancellor also called for continued collaboration between government agencies and the university to ensure the facility remains operational and delivers its intended benefits to students and staff.