Kalu withdraws support for Otti, vows to stop Abia governor’s second term

 

Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has withdrawn his support for Governor Alex Otti and declared that he will work against the governor’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general election.

Kalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he would instead mobilise support to reclaim Abia State for the ruling party, insisting that he would no longer back the Labour Party-led administration.

Speaking on Thursday at his country home in Igbere, Kalu said he played a significant role in Otti’s victory during the 2023 governorship election but accused the governor’s media team of fuelling the rift between them.

According to him, the disagreement was triggered by a statement issued by Otti’s Chief Press Secretary, Njoku Okaoha, which criticised him over comments expressing support for President Bola Tinubu and his intention to deliver Abia State to the APC.

Kalu said he had maintained cordial relations with the governor for two years without publicly criticising his administration.

“I have not, for once, criticised the state government. For two years, I considered the governor my friend,” he said.

“But a few days ago, his press secretary issued a statement against me. Whatever a press secretary says reflects the position of the governor. They fired the first salvo.”

He added that his decision to openly support the APC should not attract hostility.

“I am APC, and I will work for APC to win. We worked for him to win in 2023, but we will not do that again,” Kalu said.

The senator also dismissed claims that the Otti administration has delivered outstanding performance, arguing that the governor has not embarked on major new infrastructure projects.

“What I achieved in two years as governor is there for everyone to see,” he said.

“The funds Alex Otti received in four months are comparable to what I received in eight years. He is only rehabilitating roads constructed between 1999 and 2007. I have not seen any new major road.”

Kalu further accused the governor of neglecting rural communities, noting that projects he has facilitated as a senator include new farmland roads across several communities.

“Governance is not about social media noise. It is about tangible work on the ground,” he said.

He recalled that education and healthcare were free during his administration and said his record earned him praise from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who described him as an “action governor.”

The development comes amid growing political tension in Abia State, with Governor Otti engaged in public disagreements with several APC leaders, including Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, over governance and the 2027 elections.

There have also been speculations that the APC is intensifying pressure on Otti to defect to the ruling party. Earlier this week, the Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, visited Abia as part of efforts to mobilise support for President Tinubu ahead of 2027, declaring that the South-East was united behind the President.