{"id":124827,"date":"2026-01-06T22:21:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T21:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=124827"},"modified":"2026-01-06T22:21:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T21:21:38","slug":"otti-warns-kalu-of-crushing-defeat-in-2027-questions-apcs-chances-in-abia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/otti-warns-kalu-of-crushing-defeat-in-2027-questions-apcs-chances-in-abia\/","title":{"rendered":"Otti Warns Kalu of Crushing Defeat in 2027, Questions APC\u2019s Chances in Abia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Tracy Moses<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has challenged Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North to brace up for what he described as a crushing defeat in the 2027 general elections, dismissing claims that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take over the state.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The governor\u2019s reaction came in a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, following reports that Kalu had claimed the APC would capture Abia State in 2027 and that he would actively work for the party\u2019s candidates.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The latest exchange comes amid a long-standing political rivalry that intensified after the 2023 general elections. In that poll, Otti, running on the Labour Party platform, defeated the APC to become governor, ending years of PDP dominance. While the APC lost the governorship, Kalu retained his Abia North senatorial seat, creating a split outcome that has fueled debates over voter loyalty and political strength in the zone. Analysts say statements from both leaders reflect early positioning ahead of the 2027 elections, with Abia North expected to be a key battleground.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the statement, Governor Otti has never approached Kalu to solicit support for his re-election, nor tried to persuade him to work against the APC. Kalu\u2019s repeated public emphasis on not supporting Otti, the statement said, was unnecessary and increasingly absurd.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cGovernor Otti has never appealed to Senator Kalu for support, nor tried to convince him to work against his party or its would-be governorship candidate,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThose who truly support their party and candidates do not make noise about it; they go to work and let results speak for them.\u201d The governor warned that any attempts to threaten or intimidate him would backfire.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cIf Senator Kalu\u2019s repeated statements are meant as subtle threats, he is making a costly blunder, because threats toughen rather than frighten or weaken Governor Otti,\u201d the statement added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Otti also challenged Kalu to provide his polling unit and ward-level results from the 2023 governorship and presidential elections, highlighting the APC\u2019s poor performance in Bende Local Government Area, Kalu\u2019s home base.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cINEC results show that the APC suffered significant losses across polling units and wards in the 2023 governorship and presidential elections in Bende. If Senator Kalu truly worked for President Tinubu and the APC, how did the President lose in his constituency while Kalu won?\u201d the statement questioned.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement further disclosed that four aspirants have declared interest in contesting the Abia North Senatorial seat on the Labour Party platform, noting that whoever emerges from the primaries will enjoy full backing from Governor Otti. \u201cWhoever emerges from the Labour Party primaries will receive the full support of the Governor to secure victory in the 2027 elections,\u201d it added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Separately, PDP Publicity Secretary for the North Central zone, Hon. Idowu Afolabi, praised Otti\u2019s leadership, describing him as committed to restoring hope to the people of the state.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe emergence of Governor Otti has brought vibrancy, direction, and purposeful leadership to Abia State. Under his watch, the people\u2019s mandate will be protected and strengthened,\u201d Afolabi said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, North Central Auditor, Hon. Musa Siyaka Adeiza, commended Otti for his resilience and determination, urging the electorate to rally behind the Labour Party to address economic and social hardships. \u201cA vote for the Labour Party is a vote for emancipation from poverty and insecurity.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Citizens must close ranks, resolve disagreements, and work together in the interest of the state,\u201d Adeiza said.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Tracy Moses Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has challenged Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North to brace up for what he described as a crushing defeat in&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":124828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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