Ohafia women, youths protest against Kalu, insist on 2027 rejection

Tension mounted at the Zone 9 Police Headquarters in Umuahia, Abia State, after women and youths from Ohafia Local Government Area staged a protest to express their opposition to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Clips shared on social media showed women singing and chanting while accusing the senator of offending the Ohafia community. Despite reports of teargas being fired by security operatives, the protesters reportedly refused to disperse, declaring that Kalu would not secure votes from Ohafia in the next election cycle.

The protest followed an earlier position taken by the Ohafia Youth Association, which reportedly declared the lawmaker persona non grata over an allegation that he described Ohafia as an “IPOB zone” during the 2023 Abia North senatorial campaign.

Youth leaders said the alleged comment was harmful to the community’s reputation and exposed residents to security and political risks. They maintained that the issue had not been addressed and continued to affect perceptions of Ohafia.

Sources said the senator subsequently petitioned the group to the Zone 9 Police Command. Members of the association honoured an invitation last week and later returned in greater numbers, accompanied by elderly women and men, to reiterate their position.

The protesters insisted that their opposition to Kalu remained firm, arguing that he had lost the trust required to seek political support in Ohafia.

A dialogue reportedly scheduled between the senator and youth representatives did not hold, as Kalu was said to be absent.

Police officials advised the group to return to Ohafia with a promise that another meeting date would be communicated. The youths declined, stating that they had already responded to two invitations and would not make a third trip to Umuahia.

They also claimed that the deployment of teargas during their visit strengthened their resolve.

While reaffirming their readiness for dialogue, the group insisted that any such engagement must take place in Ohafia rather than at the police command in Umuahia.

Observers say the development may signal early political tensions in Abia North as conversations around the 2027 elections begin to gather momentum.