Abia Govt Fires Shot At Orji Kalu: ‘If You’re Loyal, Why Did Tinubu Lose In Your Constituency?

The Abia State Government has raised doubts about Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pointing to the 2023 general election results in which Kalu secured his senatorial seat while the APC presidential candidate failed to win in his constituency.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The state government’s reaction followed Kalu’s recent assertion that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would reclaim Abia State in the 2027 elections and remove Governor Alex Otti from office.

Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, had pledged to mobilise support for the APC in 2027, stating that although he considers Governor Otti a personal friend, his political allegiance remains firmly with his party.

“Alex Otti is my friend. I don’t mix friendship with politics. I will vote only for my party, the APC. I will work for President Tinubu to win in Abia and support the APC governorship candidate,” Kalu said.

In response, the Abia State Government, through the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, challenged Kalu to demonstrate his electoral influence during the 2023 polls.

The statement noted that the APC suffered what it described as heavy defeats in Kalu’s constituency during both the presidential and governorship elections.

According to the government, Governor Otti neither sought Kalu’s backing during the last election nor attempted to pressure him to work against his party.

“Senator Kalu’s repeated emphasis on not supporting Governor Otti against his party has become, at best, redundant and, at worst, laughable,” the statement read.

It added that any attempt to intimidate the governor would be counterproductive, stressing that threats would only strengthen Otti’s resolve rather than weaken it.

Questioning Kalu’s claim that he worked for Tinubu in 2023, the state government challenged him to release his polling unit and ward-level results.

“If Senator Kalu truly campaigned effectively for the President, how did Tinubu lose in his constituency while Kalu won his own election conducted on the same day?” the statement asked.

The Otti administration maintained that the governor’s victory in 2023 was driven solely by his credibility, competence and campaign promises, making him the only Labour Party governor elected nationwide.

It expressed confidence that Abians, having witnessed what it described as significant transformation under Otti in less than three years, would overwhelmingly renew his mandate in 2027.

The government also referenced the political ambition of Kalu’s younger brother, Mascot Kalu, who contested the 2023 governorship election under the Action Peoples Party (APP) and finished last.

“We congratulate Senator Kalu for positioning his younger brother for the 2027 governorship race,” the statement said, noting that Mascot Kalu polled 11,728 votes—about 3.3 per cent of total votes cast—in the 2023 election.

It further disclosed that four aspirants have already declared interest in the Abia North senatorial seat on the platform of the Labour Party, adding that whoever emerges would receive Governor Otti’s full support.

At the March 18, 2023 governorship election, Otti polled 175,466 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Okey Ahiwe, who garnered 88,526 votes.