Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has thrown his weight behind Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general election, while insisting that he still supports the major economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE TV’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Omo-Agege defended his political position following his recent departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former Delta Central senator maintained that his endorsement of Obi does not mean he has abandoned his support for policies such as fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the naira.
Addressing questions about his decision to support Obi after previously praising Tinubu’s economic agenda, Omo-Agege argued that it was the APC that abandoned him and his supporters.
“I was a member of the APC. I never left the APC; the party left me and left my over 230,000 supporters in Delta State,” he said.
According to him, some of the most controversial economic reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration were necessary steps to address Nigeria’s long-standing economic challenges.
The former deputy senate president stated that he remains a strong supporter of the removal of fuel subsidy and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market.
“When Mr President came up with the economic policies, most especially the naira flotation and subsidy removal, these are policies I supported and continue to support,” he stated.
He stressed that backing those reforms should not be interpreted as exclusive support for President Tinubu or the APC.
Omo-Agege pointed out that Peter Obi had publicly advocated similar economic measures long before the 2023 presidential election.
“Even though these policies were espoused by Mr President, which I support, the same policies were also supported by Peter Obi,” he explained.
According to him, the debate should not focus on the policies themselves but on who is best positioned to implement them effectively and gain the trust of Nigerians.
Explaining his endorsement, Omo-Agege said many Nigerians who remain sceptical about the reforms would be more willing to support them under Obi’s leadership.
“The question is, have I changed my opinion about this? No, I have not,” he said.
“I just believe that under the new platform I’ve gone to, these policies will continue and the people, the majority of Nigerians who have issues with those policies, would feel more confident because they are more comfortable and trust Peter Obi that he will make these policies work more than Mr President could have done.”
Omo-Agege concluded by reiterating that Nigeria’s economic challenges are not necessarily caused by the reforms themselves.
“The policies are not bad policies,” he said, emphasizing that effective implementation and public confidence remain the key factors in achieving positive economic outcomes.
His comments add a fresh twist to the growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election, as key political figures continue to reposition themselves and build new alliances across party lines.
