As the 2027 general elections approach, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has urged the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, to switch allegiance to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Otti, who was elected in the 2023 general election on the Labour Party (LP) platform, has been praised by Kalu for his efforts in developing Abia State. However, Kalu believes that Otti would be more effective under the APC banner.
Kalu’s call for Otti to join the APC echoes a similar appeal made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who previously urged the Governor of Akwa Ibom State to join the ruling party. In a recent viral video, Kalu asserted that the APC is the party to beat in 2027 and confidently stated that the next governor of Abia will be from the APC.
“We are friends; we work together, but in 2027, the APC governor will be there. I have told him in person and in public that the APC will be the governor of Abia State. I don’t know how it will happen, but I know it will happen. I am confident because my president is working hard, and Abia will repay the president,” Kalu said.
Kalu also highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s support for the South East Development Commission (SEDC) as a reason for Abia voters to favor the APC in the upcoming elections. He emphasized that the state’s gratitude should be reflected in an electoral victory for the ruling party.
Furthermore, Kalu suggested that Otti would find a more conducive environment within the APC to realize his developmental goals for Abia State. He hinted that the current divisions within the Labour Party, exemplified by the recent walkout of its national chairman from an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) meeting, make this an opportune moment for Otti to switch parties.
An APC stalwart in the region supported Kalu’s call, arguing that Otti should not wait until 2027 to join the ruling party. The move, according to the stalwart, would benefit both Otti’s administration and the state by aligning more closely with the federal government.
The suggestion draws parallels with former Governor Theodore Orji of Abia, who, after winning on the platform of the relatively unknown Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), quickly switched to the then-ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Otti, who was a founding member of the APC in Abia, would not be breaking new ground by following this precedent, and the APC is expected to accommodate his supporters should he decide to make the move.
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