Alex Otti will be last LP member to govern Abia, says Ben Kalu

Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, says Alex Otti will be the last member of the Labour Party (LP) to govern Abia state.

Speaking during an interview on Spin FM, Kalu, who represents Bende federal constituency of Abia, said the next governor of the south-east state will be a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kalu said a member of the APC should be the governor of Abia given “President Bola Tinubu’s contribution” to the development of the state.

“This will be the last time that a labour governor will govern Abia state. I say it without mincing words. The next governor of Abia state will be APC governor,” Kalu said.

Kalu said despite his friendship with Otti, he has repeatedly told him that a member of the APC should be governor of Abia.

“We are friends, yes. We worked together, yes. But I will not be the number 6 citizen of the country and another party will govern my state. The next election of 2027, an APC governor will be there,” the APC chieftain said.

“I have told him in person, I have told him publicly that the APC governor will be next in Abia state. How it will happen, I don’t know, but it will happen.

“I am confident because I am working hard. I am confident because my government is working hard. The president is working hard and Abia will repay the president. The president that has given you the South East Development Commission will be repaid.

“A president that is appointing Abians into administration will be repaid. A president who is attracting the dividends of democracy will be repaid. We are not ungrateful people. Monkey will not work and baboon will chop. APC will not help the state to be strong, and labour will take the credit.”

Kalu added that the APC in Abia is tired of being on the fringes.

“APC will determine who will become the next governor of Abia state. I don’t care about who the person is. But one thing I know is that the party platform, APC, will produce the next governor of Abia state,” he added.

“We are ready to work for Abia state and we are tired of being outside the government at the centre. We need to leverage the power of the centre to increase the development of Abia state.

“The governor is my friend and he is doing well. Comparatively speaking, he is not doing badly within the 100 days in office. I give it to him. I am proud of him. He is my friend. In fact, we spoke today. There is barely a day we don’t speak.

“But the issue remains: we have to push for our party to take over the state. I owe Mr President that and I owe my party that has given me the number six position that.

“I am sure the governor knows that I owe my party that and I am sure the governor will do the right thing at the right time.”

Otti succeeded Okezie Ikpeazu as governor in 2023.

He polled 175,467 votes to defeat Okey Ahiwe, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who secured 88,529 votes.

Otti was the only LP candidate to win a governorship poll in the 2023 general election.

Ikpeazu served as governor under the PDP from 2015 to 2023.