2027: Alex Otti Vs. Abia APC, Needless Involvement of Ben Kalu, South East Govs

Right of Reply

By James Nwachukwu

The writing of one Uche Ezewudo recently published in ThisDay reeks of the imprints of a highly placed personality who feels intimidated and then, resorts to concoct some de-marketing narratives to titivate his fancy while attempting to draw the attention of other highly focused governors in the South East into his petty media warfare with a federal law maker whose sin was nothing but building grassroot team for the leader of his party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abia state through his new initiative, RENEWED HOPE PARTNERS, a group aimed at projecting the good works of the current administration and raising structures for an increased vote for the party in 2027.

Writing from Arochukwu, a local government in Abia State, Ezewudo passes as a pun in the hand of his paymaster who is from the same Local government Area but chose to deny the Isiala ngwa people their birth right by claiming to be from Isiala ngwa to win election while exhuming his fathers bones, a sojourner in Ngwa land to Arochukwu, his true ancestral home.

But for purposes of protecting the unsuspecting members of the public, one would not opt to rebutt as that would give this lackey some sense of significance he indirectly seeks. Just like him, I am an “objective observer “ with no political affiliation to any party or enmity with the Gov of Abia state.

Ezewudo’s started off his hallucinations, spinning tales of power tussles between the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu and the governors of South East region where he hails from. This is nothing short of a wild goose chase which conspicuously exposes the emptiness of an agent provocateur and a sponsorsed propagandist. May be, Ezewudo lives in the blues. If not, how could he not have seen or known about the robust relationship that exists amongst Kalu and the governors?

Surely, this hatchet writer needs a timeline of the Deputy Speaker’s most recent synergistic affinities with the governors of South East to benumb and repudiate his unfounded claims.

Between May 2 and 3, 2025, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State played host to the Deputy Speaker at the Government House during the maiden gathering of the Nigerian Former Legislative Forum (NFLF) in Enugu convened by Kalu. To further demonstrate the extent of that relationship, the Governor who had earlier that morning kicked off the marathon exercise with Kalu later graced the event at the newly commissioned International Conference Centre (ICC), hosted by the Deputy Speaker. It is needless to re-echo Mbah’s encomiums on Kalu for his legislative sagacity, foresight and indefatigablilty. That was the third time the Deputy Speaker was visiting him as Governor of Enugu state.

Yet again, this Ezewudo who obviously craves some visibility from obscurity blinded his eyes to the rousing reception and brotherly embrace Governor Soludo of Anambra accorded the Deputy Speaker during the recent visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the State, an event he personally insisted the Deputy Speaker must grace because of their warm relationship. Infact, Kalu had before then visited him more than four times in recent times.

This rabble-rouser who also chose to regale himself with an invented story of a faceoff between Kalu and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, yet again, blinded himself to the display of brotherly love that played out during the recent 2024 Vanguard Award in Lagos where Uzodinma was an awardee for which Kalu graced in solidarity with his big brother. Flying into Lagos from Abuja with over 20 high profile politicians and business men to honour a brother meant so much to him.

Not too long again, Kalu attended an APC South East Stakeholders meeting in Ebonyi State, where a notable display of camaraderie was witnessed between him and Governor Nwifuru. The Deputy Speaker lauded Nwifuru’s efforts in building on the significant progress made by his predecessor, showcasing a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect. That was the second time he was visiting Nwifiru as a state Governor.

And for Dr. Alex Otti, Kalu’s home state governor, the bond between them transcends their political affiliations, rooted in a long-standing friendship that predates their entry into politics. The Deputy Speaker and the Governor share a deep-seated friendship that has withstood the test of time. Their familiarity and affection are evident in Kalu’s fond reference to Otti as ‘De Ally’, a term of endearment that speaks to the familial bonds, trust and brotherly love that defines their relationship. It was the same Gov Otti who gathered the entire traditional rulers of the state to welcome the Deputy Speaker after his election in 2023 to Abia and conferred on him the highest chieftaincy title in the entire Abia state, which only one person holds for a life time; ENYI ABIA (the Great Elephant of Abia State).

In the course of their service to the people and the nation, Kalu has consistently demonstrated his commitment to mutual collaborations, frequently attending state functions in Abia at Governor Otti’s invitation as well as attracting projects beyond his immediate Bende federal constituency of the State he represents at the National Assembly. But despite these gestures, Ezewudo has failed to acknowledge Kalu’s instrumental role in securing the projects for Abia’s infrastructural development. This, therefore raises questions about his objectivity. Notably, Kalu’s working relationships are built on mutual respect and shared goals, rather than emotional attachments, as evidenced by his professional interactions with various leaders, including those in the South East. So, to directly answer his question, Kalu has no issues with the governors from his region. The region will never function well without the governors. The governors have played major roles in keeping the stability and peace of the region and can not be belittled by any reasonable leader.

Call Ezewudo a middlesome interloper, you would not be wrong because he struggled so hard in his tirade to de-market Kalu before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But truth be told, this self appointed judge is rattled by Kalu’s passionate and fanatical support for the President. From Abuja, the Deputy Speaker has taken the gospel of Tinubu’s unassailable performance to Abia State and indeed, the nooks and crannies of the South East region. And so, this Arochukwu’s infamous writer is obviously angered by the recent unveiling of Renewed Hope Partners (RHP) office in Umuahia, capital of Abia from where Kalu within 24 hours of the launch hosted a plethora of supporters who have shown interest in the reelection of President Tinubu in 2027.

This hatchet writer is so infuriated that Abia State and indeed, the South East region are well internalizing the Renewed Hope message as being preached by Kalu to the extent that the pledge of 70 percent vote as against their fraudulent promissory vote of 25 percent has agitated his mind.

Let it be shouted even to the mountain tops that Kalu is unapologetic about it and does not intend to stop spreading the message any time soon. Abia which does not have an APC governor in the saddle at the moment sees Kalu as one and naturally, Kalu is expected to do the work of projecting both his party and President Tinubu to the people. And he is doing it well and surely, this does hurt the interloppers.

Kalu cannot afford to leave Tinubu’s message in the hands of those who have refused to publicly acknowledge that the APC government has made more money available to them to work for the people. They would rather usurp the glory to giving it to whom it is due, all in self edification.

Talking about wooing notable people in the South East, Kalu’s stellar legislative performance on daily basis does the magic of attracting personalities. In Abia State, it is no news that a good number of men and women with high electoral values across the 17 Local Government Areas have since defected to the APC rather than the labourer at the Government House with more underwater.

One is not however so clairvoyant to know what has informed the continued reluctance of Governor Otti who Kalu has called to rejoin his political family. While it is not clear whether the governor is still a member of the battered and factionalized Labour Party (LP), his newly courted Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) or any other political party, what is however sure is that Abia APC cannot be left in the hands of a man who leads a coalition of people that are anti-Tinubu led government, yet, pretends to love the President. Rt. Hon. Kalu is fully in charge of the party and would lead it to victory of President Tinubu in 2027. Sorry, Kalu is not ready to take the risk of secretly making promises to President Tinubu and publicly failing him.

Did I also read Ezewudo talk about political upstarts? This is very petty and preposterous. In fact, there is no basis for comparison. Most of those basking in the euphoria of political governance, parading themselves as the peoples leaders now were yet to find their bearing in politics as far back as 2003 when Kalu became a local government chairman and had a formidable political structure, Ben Kalu Movement (BKM). When you have a structure with membership that is as old as 22 years then, you can claim to have a stable structure, not by the coercion of contractors and workers who will not be appointed or paid unless they join Abia Arise of yesterday. We shall test the sustainability of that structure when Otti leaves office to see if it would be sustainable for 22 years like the structures of Ben Kalu.

For purposes of accentuation, let it be emphatically started that Kalu has never struggled to win his constituency in the last two election cycles. The votes are there already for him to pick, evidenced by his wide margin of victory in 2019 and 2023 respectively. And whatever office his political family finally decides for him in 2027, be it Abia Governorship or still, Bende Reps seat, Kalu who has so far acquitted himself in terms of performance will still win fair and square. I need not to say that he is the popular demand and man of the moment in the political trajectory of Abia State.

On the impact of the Kalu’s peace project, Ezewudo should be made to know that Peace In South East Project, PISE-P has calmed the frayed nerves in the South East. What he doesn’t know is that the platform lobbied for South East Development Commission (SEDC). The Nigerian military has since bought into the project and it has ultimately brought the South East back under the non kinetic approach preached by PISE-P. Its advocacy on peace is loud. PISE-P made cash and material donations to families of victims of respective violent acts in the South East region. Till date, it remains a tool for the reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the region. SEDC is the outcome of the PISE-P strong advocacy and appeals to better the lots of the South East region and will still be used as a platform to reintegrate the agitators like NDDC did in the South South zone. Soon you the news of more achievements of the PISEP in restoring peace in the region will be commonplace.

I hate to think that Ezewudo’s growing unease about Kalu’s increasing influence in Abia politics is so palpable. Of course, we know that as a stalwart of the APC, the Deputy Speaker’s efforts to consolidate the party’s presence in the state have sent ripples through the ruling party in Abia State. The fears of this hatchet writer are rooted in Kalu’s ability to mobilize support, attract notable figures to the APC, and project President Tinubu’s agenda. He fears that with him at the helm, the APC is poised to make significant gains in Abia, potentially eroding the LP’s base. But their anxiety is understandable, given Kalu’s track record of delivering results and his firm commitment to the APC’s ideals.

I have long known that Uche Ezewudo’s malicious and baseless claims against Kalu are nothing but a desperate attempt to discredit the Deputy Speaker’s achievements and contributions to Abia and the South East region. But his robust relationships with the governors, his legislative prowess, and his commitment to spreading the Renewed Hope message have all been glaringly evident. Ezewudo’s writings are a clear manifestation of his paymaster’s agenda, and his claims have been thoroughly debunked by facts. Kalu’s impact on the region, particularly through the Peace In South East Project (PISE-P), has been transformative. The South East Development Commission (SEDC) testifies to his advocacy and dedication to the region’s development.

For the umpteenth time, Ezewudo should be told that his hatchet job will not deter Kalu’s determination as he continues to project the party’s agenda and ensure President Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.

•James Nwachukwu, a public affairs analyst wrote in this piece from Umuahia, Abia State