The Media Office of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State and current senator representing Abia North, has restated the lawmaker’s resolve to deliver Abia State for the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the party does not need the backing of Governor Alex Otti to win elections in the state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the senator’s media aide, George Maduka, the APC was described as “united and solid” in Abia, with no internal divisions capable of undermining its electoral chances.
The statement contrasted this with the Labour Party, alleging that Governor Otti’s party is beset by internal crises, including the defection of several local government chairmen to other political platforms such as the ZLP and YPP.
The statement also accused Governor Otti of overestimating his political relevance, recalling that key stakeholders were said to have intervened to mobilise support for him during the 2023 governorship election.
It further questioned Otti’s claims of irrelevance by referencing his reported visit to Senator Kalu’s residence in Igbere on the eve of the election, as well as alleged engagements between Otti’s campaign team and the senator.
“If he was not relevant, why was his house in Igbere visited on the night before the election?” the statement asked, while also challenging Governor Otti to address Senator Kalu directly rather than issuing responses through media aides.
Reaffirming loyalty to the APC and its leadership, the statement noted that just as Governor Otti openly supported Labour Party candidates, including Peter Obi against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Kalu has equally declared his support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The statement concluded by stressing that Senator Kalu remains unwavering in his determination to deliver the APC at all levels in Abia State, without apology or pretence.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.