By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The All Progressive Congress, APC, has vehemently rejected the endorsement handed down to the Abia state Governor, Dr Alex Otti, by a chieftain of the party and Senator representing Abia North Senatorial district ,Orji Uzor Kalu.
The Source reports that Senator Kalu ,a former Governor of the State ,in company with a one time Senator that represented Abia Central, Chris Adighijie had on Sunday, June 8, 2025 during a visit to the Labour Party’s Governor Otti, patted him on the back for work well done so far in the governance of Abia State.
Kalu, thereafter, proceeded to endorse Otti’s second term bid ,even when the Governor is still waiting on God to decide his 2027 political foray.
Instructively, Governor Otti, while appreciating the visit of his predecessor in office, and the concomitant accolades, flayed all discussions about 2027 as amounting to playing God.
While, also, conceding to have borrowed hugely from the infrastructural development blueprint of Kalu during his time as the State Governor, Otti, pointedly disassociated himself from all such distractive permutations on the 2027 polls.
Two years, he insisted, are too far for political actors to engage in calculations for another election .
The Abia APC in a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday, June 10, by its spokesperson, Sterling Uruakpa scolded Senator Kalu for indulging in an unsolicited political handshake with a Governor of a rival party.
The APC , while completely distancing itself from all remarks credited to Kalu during the said visit, also, stated that the Abia State former Governor is on his own.
The party similarly described Senator Kalu’s visit to Governor Otti as purely a personal affair which does not enjoy the approval and or support of APC.
“Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s visit to Governor Alex Otti was a personal engagement. It does not reflect the position or endorsement of Abia state APC.
The Party remains firm in its position that the Labour Party Government in Abia is fraught with unresolved conflicts of interest, a troubling lack of transparency, and the concealment of project costs, and contracts details” the party stated.
The APC reaffirmed its position on the alleged opaqueness of the LP administration, as earlier captured by its Chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu.
The Chairman had at the occasion of the launch of Renewed Hope Partners in Bende Local Council of the State on May 28, 2025, berated the Otti administration for reveling in unbridled financial secrecy as well as conducting the affairs of Abia State from his private residence in his Isiala Ngwa South Local Government.
The APC in the statement warned against any further act of party indiscipline, sabotage, as well as what it described as “political fraternization on the part of members.
According to the APC, no party member should hide under the guise of seeking support for the ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to undermine its fortune.
“We will not tolerate a repeat of the 2023 betrayal where party discipline was sacrificed for personal gain”, the APC warned.
Instructively too, at an interactive session with the media after the now controversial visit, Senator Kalu had stated that his overall interest, was to foster a political understanding between President Tinubu and Governor Otti.
While rejecting any plans for a coalition against the President ahead of the 2027 polls, Kalu noted that he is working to ensure that both Governor Otti and the President assist each other during the election.
“I am not into coalition talks. My interest is for Tinubu and Otti to support each other.
“Governor Otti doesn’t have a problem with me. I don’t want to talk about a coalition. I want to talk about Otti supporting Tinubu and Tinubu supporting Otti.That is my interest”, Kalu submitted.
However, not a few people, including a sizable number of his APC members, perceive Senator Kalu’s posture as being in tandem with his well known survival antics.
However, the APC in its statement expressed its unflinching readiness and commitment towards wresting power from the LP in the state.
” Let it be known that no amount of political posturing, or unmerited praise for the Labour Party Government will distract us.
“We are focused on delivering victory in 2027, and aligning Abia state with the APC-led Federal Government”, Uruakpa asserted.
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