Abia govt to Kalu: We welcome 2027 challenge, but Otti will defeat APC resoundingly

The Abia State Government has dismissed claims by the Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take over the state in 2027, describing his remarks as boastful, repetitive and disconnected from political realities on the ground.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the government said it was compelled to respond after Senator Kalu once again dragged the name of Governor Alex Otti into his comments about the 2027 elections.

Kalu had declared that Abia would become an APC state in 2027, insisting that although Governor Otti is his friend, he would only work for his party and President Bola Tinubu, and support any APC governorship candidate.

Reacting, the Abia government said Governor Otti has never approached Kalu to solicit support for his re-election nor asked him to work against his party.

“Senator Kalu’s repeated emphasis on not supporting Governor Otti against his party has become pedestrian and ludicrous,” the statement said.

The government warned that if Kalu’s comments were intended as subtle threats, he was making a “calamitous blunder,” stressing that Governor Otti is not one to be intimidated.

Ekeoma also questioned Kalu’s claim of working for the APC in previous elections, challenging him to publish results from his polling unit and ward in the 2023 presidential and governorship polls.

“INEC results clearly show that the APC lost woefully in the polling units and wards of all APC candidates in Bende Local Government Area, including where Senator Kalu hails from,” the statement noted, asking how President Tinubu lost in Kalu’s constituency despite the elections being held on the same day.

The government argued that Governor Otti’s victory in 2023, when he emerged as the only Labour Party governor in the country, was driven by his credibility, capacity and manifesto, adding that his performance in office has further cemented popular support across the state.

“Abia people now see Governor Alex Otti as their best political party, and his re-election as a divine project that must be executed with courage, passion and precision,” the statement said.

The government also congratulated Senator Kalu for drafting his younger brother into the 2027 governorship race, recalling that he contested the 2023 election under the Action People’s Party (APP) and placed last.

It further disclosed that four aspirants have already indicated interest in contesting the Abia North senatorial seat under the Labour Party, assuring that whoever emerges will enjoy the full support of Governor Otti in 2027.

The statement concluded by declaring that while the Abia government welcomes political competition, it is confident that the APC and its candidates will suffer a “piercing defeat” in the next general elections.