In the current Abia State politics, the moves being made today are as revealing as the history that shaped the state in the post-military era. As we approach the 2027 election, there seems to be an emerging sharp contrast between the sitting Governor, Alex Otti, and the state’s political father, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK).
While the election continues to draw closer, Governor Alex Otti has consistently made statements targeted at wooing President Bola Tinubu, or hoodwinking him into believing that he, Otti, will support his reelection. This should be raising more than a few eyebrows, at least among those who are in tune with political realities. While the governor and his supporters may be packaging this as “strategic diplomacy” or “statesmanship,” it glaringly shows a deeper anxiety and jitteriness over the governor’s return for a second term.
READ ALSO: Otti Supports Tinubu, Says He Won’t Oppose His 2027 Re-election Bid
This article tries to put side by side the approaches, actions, and inactions of the two leaders in the face of a seemingly similar political scenario. While one appears to be seeking a “federal shield” to give hope against the uncertainties of returning to office, the other showed what could be regarded as the most remarkable political bravery in the history of the entire South East region.
There is a growing signal that the Governor is unsure of his ability to win a second term on his own merit and on his faction of the LP’s internal structures. This “Open Support” decoy looks less like confident leadership and more like a plea for federal protection against the brewing local storm orchestrated by the current united APC. It suggests a lack of confidence in his own political strength to face the 2027 polls without the “Abuja factor.”
Contrast this with the era of Orji Uzor Kalu. During his tenure, OUK faced a very clear challenge from the then federal government of Obasanjo. It was not just a case of being in a different political camp from the central government, like what Otti presently contends with. Obasanjo, with the whole federal might, was openly out to dislodge him, but he stood and showed that he was a “Man of His Own” in the truest sense. I would have said that he didn’t hide under the wings of the Presidency, but the truth was that there were no optional wings for him to even consider perching on, let alone hiding under. In fact, he famously went toe-to-toe with the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the entire federal machinery.
When the PDP, of which he was one of the strong founding pillars, tried to squeeze him out, Kalu didn’t panic or try to become a “boy-boy” governor in order to retain his leadership in the state. Rather, he showed ultimate political authority by forming the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) from scratch. He built a structure so formidable that it didn’t just win in Abia; it sent shockwaves across the South East.
To understand OUK’s current influence, we must look at what he achieved with the PPA, a party he birthed and nurtured into a giant. Through his influence and grassroots machinery, Theodore Orji won the Abia Governorship in 2007 while still in detention, a feat that proved OUK’s structure was bulletproof. Ikedi Ohakim secured the Imo State Governorship under the PPA banner, riding on the face and influence of this same Orji Uzor Kalu. The party produced several National Assembly members and State Assembly members across Abia, Imo, and parts of Anambra, proving that Kalu’s political “DNA” could win anywhere in the region. It wasn’t guesswork or a case of “etie okwe erie okwe,” but a show of formidable grassroots strength. It was a demonstration that OUK didn’t need a “federal godfather” because he was the structure himself.
Those political structures, strategies, auras, and that boldness are still there with Senator Kalu because they are simply in his DNA. So, Otti’s subtle attempt to cozy up to President Tinubu will not work. Let him also stand up for himself the way Orji Uzor Kalu did. In fact, the APC does not need Alex Otti to deliver Abia for the President in 2027. With OUK at the helm of the party’s strategy, the APC already has a battle-tested commander who has the pedigree to deliver the state without needing an endorsement from an opposition governor who narrowly won his first election through the influence of Peter Obi.
The difference is clear. While Governor Alex Otti is looking for a soft landing, trying to find a comfortable spot between his party and the federal powers just to survive, Orji Uzor Kalu in his time remained a figure of authority who didn’t only secure his own territory but also extended his reach to sister states with vigour.
Comrade Duke writes from Umunneochi LGA
