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2027: Showdown in Abia as ex-govs regroup against Otti
Ahead of the 2027 general election, there’s rising political tension in Abia State, with some opposition leaders in the State hell-bent on stopping Governor Alex Otti’s re-election.
The opposition figures, many of whom previously held power in the state, have threatened that Otti will not be reelected for a second term as governor in 2027.
These figures also have been holding political meetings and issuing public statements against Otti’s administration.
Last week, two former Governors of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, alongside other former political leaders, said they have formed an alliance to unseat Governor Otti in the 2027 general election.
According to them, they intend to win all elective positions in Abia for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The duo met in Umuahia and resolved to forge a common front they christened, ‘The Team,’ a platform for their political battle against Otti and other anti-APC interests.
In addition, the group signalled that it will institute a legal action against Otti for allegedly running Abia from his Nvosi country home instead of the Government House, Umuahia.
Kalu described the assembly as a platform for experienced leaders who want to reclaim their relevance in the state’s political landscape.
The Abia north senator rejected narratives portraying previous governments as ineffective, insisting that their legacies live on.
The former Abia governor said: “Leadership is a relay. I handed over to Senator T.A. Orji, who handed over to Okezie Ikpeazu. No single individual can claim we achieved nothing. If we did nothing, where would our people be today?”
Otti hasn’t done better, he’s repainting roads – Kalu
While addressing journalists recently, Senator Kalu accused governor Otti of not doing much with the allocation the state is getting from the federal government.
He claimed that the governor was only repainting roads he (Kalu) built during his time as the state governor.
Kalu said he won’t work for Ottis’ reelection in 2027 even though he delivered for Otti in the last gubernatorial election in 2023.
He said: “I consider the Governor as my friend. And two years, I’ve never criticized. I never said anything, and they shot the first salvo. I replied by telling them that I will work for APC to win.
“We worked for him to have won 2023. We are not going to do that again. What is wrong with that? Is that why I should receive insults? It is not acceptable to me. I’m going to work for my party.
“If he has done better, I don’t know about that, because you can see that what I did in two years as a governor, the records are there for you to see. The money Otti receives in four months is what I received in eight years. That is the truth.
“He is just repainting and rebuilding the roads I built as a governor from 1999 and 2007. I’ve not seen any new major roads taking place.
“I’m in the Senate, and all the roads I’m doing in communities are brand new farmland roads.”
Opposition chasing shadows – Otti’s aide
Meanwhile, an aide to Governor Alex Otti, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, said the opposition plotting to unseat the governor in 2027 is merely chasing shadows.
Anokwuru, who is Special Adviser to the Governor on Policies and Interventions, said this recently during a news briefing in Umuahia, the state capital.
He was reacting to the spate of criticisms and media attacks against the governor by the leading opposition chieftains.
He entitled his speech, “Abia Opposition: Stop Tinubu Name-Dropping and Face the Fact!”
He said it was absurd for the old political leaders that allegedly ruined and underdeveloped the state to think they would return to power, riding on President Bola Tinubu’s might.
He mocked them for dropping the president’s name and banking on his achievements, rather than citing the legacies they left behind during their time as governors.
He said: “It is a long-established principle in both law and public life that anyone who demands equity must come with clean hands.
“This principle is particularly relevant in the current political climate in Abia state.
“When former executive governors and past political office holders, whose administrations are still fresh in the collective memory of the people, congregate to challenge the present administration of Alex Otti, the public is entitled to interrogate not just their claims, but also their credibility,” he said.
They are ganging up against Otti — Analyst
Speaking about the matter, a public affairs analyst and communication expert at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nduka Odo, said the growing opposition against Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, by former governors is driven largely by the protection of entrenched political and economic interests.
In an interview with DAILY POST, Odo described the development as unsurprising, noting that former governors Orji Uzor Kalu, Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu share a long-standing political lineage that ensured a smooth transition of power from one administration to another.
According to him, Otti’s emergence marked a departure from that pattern, as he came to office without the backing of his predecessor.
Odo argued that the former governors’ alliance against Otti is less about party politics or the welfare of Abia people, and more about personal interests threatened by the current administration’s policies.
He pointed out that under Otti, Abia became one of the few states to abolish the payment of salaries and allowances to former governors and their deputies, a benefit still enjoyed by ex-governors in many states across the country.
Odo said: “What’s happening in Abia state is not unexpected. Don’t blame the former governors who have vowed to unseat the incumbent governor. They are protecting their interests. And you can’t chastise a man for protecting their sources of livelihood. Kalu, Orji, and Ikpeazu all came from the same lineage. It was a smooth movement from one to the other. That’s unlike Otti, who emerged without the support of his predecessor.
“Why are the former governors teaming up against Otti? The answer is simple. They may say that it’s for the interest of the APC. They may say it’s for Abia people.
“Let’s go back a bit in time to fish out the answer. Under Alex Otti, Abia became one of the few states in Nigeria that stopped salaries and allowances for former governors and their deputies.
“This meant that in most states today, all former governors and their deputies collect the same salaries and allowances as the sitting executives.
“Isn’t this enough reason for them to team up against him? They can say he only paints roads. But Abia people are the right group to answer that question.
“So, I’m happy about what is happening in Abia. Any time you see all politicians in a state work together, trust me, development in that state will suffer.
“This attack from the former leaders on the incumbent will remind Otti that he still needs to do more. If wants the people to continue being by his side, he needs to continue tackling the needs of his people.”
Ex-Govs’ criticism means nothing — CRRAN President
Similarly, the President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, CRRAN, Olu Omotayo, said Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, is delivering tangible development that is evident to the people, irrespective of criticisms from former governors.
Omotayo stated this in a chat with DAILY POST, where he argued that past administrations in many South-East states governed for themselves rather than for the people, a situation he said resulted in widespread underdevelopment across the region.
According to him, genuine development does not require constant government propaganda, stressing that it is the people who should testify to projects that directly affect their lives.
Omotayo noted that under Otti’s administration, residents of Abia State have openly acknowledged improvements in infrastructure and governance, which he described as the true measure of performance.
The CRRAN president dismissed criticisms from former governors, arguing that a comparison between their years in office and Otti’s achievements shows a clear difference in performance.
Omotayo, however, expressed concern over the impact of the nation’s economic hardship on voters’ behaviour, warning that widespread poverty could still influence electoral outcomes.
He said: “In the past, the people who have governed most of the southeast states believed that the government is for them but not for the people. This is because there is no development in most of the southeast states.
“When you are talking of development, you don’t need people in government to be telling you that there is development. ‘We are doing this, we are doing that.’
“It is the people that will be talking that this governor is doing this. He is doing road. They have done road to my village. They have done this.”
“So Alex Ottis’ government, you can see that people are pointing out that he has done this, he has done that. That implies there is development. We are not talking about parties. Are the people getting the dividend of democracy?
“We are not talking about the party. Is the man working? The populace are saying, yes, he has done this. He has done that. That’s the measurement of whether we have good governance.
“So what the man is doing over there is excellent. He’s investing in a lot of abandoned projects that have been abandoned in that state. It’s not just propaganda from the people who are with the governor.
“Irrespective of what the past governors in that state are saying, it doesn’t mean anything.
“Compare what they did in the past with what Otti is doing, it shows that what he has done surpasses what those people who are ganging up against him did in over 16 years of their time in that state.
“Everybody is seeing that. You don’t need any commissioner for information or any of the Governor’s state officials to be propagating that Governor has done this or that. It is the people that are saying this man has done well.
“The only thing is that, you know, because of the economy of the country, they have weaponized poverty. The economic power of people is very low.
“What I see is that people appreciate that a government is doing well. The only thing is that maybe during the election, maybe, if they give them money, they might, because of the poverty level, sell their vote,” he added.
They’re acting out of self-interest — Rights Group Convener
On his part, the Project Manager of Advocacy Partnership for Good Governance and Convener of the Office of the Citizens, Onyebuchi Igboke, questioned the basis of opposition against Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, describing it as a struggle between performance-driven governance and patronage politics.
Igboke said that Nigerian politics often rewards mediocrity and loyalty rather than measurable performance.
According to him, Otti represents a clear departure from that tradition, stressing that the governor’s achievements are visible and acknowledged even beyond Abia State.
Igboke further stated that Otti’s accomplishments in just over two years surpass what former governors Orji Uzor Kalu, Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu achieved during their combined 24 years in office.
The good governance advocate also suggested that some of the actions of the former governors may be motivated by personal interests, including the pursuit of political relevance, appointments and financial benefits at the federal level.
Igboke maintained that attempts to intimidate or discredit the incumbent governor would not succeed, insisting that Otti’s record in office remains his strongest defence.
He said: “I think any right thinking person will begin to wonder if we are celebrating mediocrity, or we are celebrating performance. Is politics of Nigeria based on performance, or is it based on patronage and eye service?
“These are two different dimensions. Because I think what Alex Otti represents is performance, even people that are not living in Abia State can attest to the tremendous job, you know, that is being carried out by the Governor.
“The masses are happy with him. His projects are visible. His performance within two years plus outweighs the 24 years of Orji Kalu, Theodore Orji, and Okezie Ikpeazu.
“I don’t know the moral basis or the performance index they are using to have that audacity.
“Some people have the opinion that what they are doing is just to get some financial benefit and other appointments from President Bola Tinubu.
“They know what they are doing deep inside them, they know. Their pursuit is self-serving.
“Orji Kalu just recently got his daughter nominated as ambassador. And we know that they have some corruption allegations against him, and some people felt that this is the only way he can do eye service.
“Any person trying to, you know, use any form of intimidation or what have you, he’s just wasting his time. That is it.” (Daily Post)
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday broke his silence over the death of Miss Mary Habila, a staff member who died at the minister’s residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, insisting that he suspected no foul play and describing attempts to link him to the incident as “politics taken too far.”
Umahi said the deceased, whom he described as “like a daughter,” had worked closely with him for years and had a history of medical challenges for which he personally funded treatment.
He also revealed that his late aide complained of bleeding from her nose during a phone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before she was found dead, as he insisted there was no evidence of foul play in the incident.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja to update the public on newly approved projects by President Bola Tinubu, the minister disclosed that the deceased was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, contrary to reports describing her as a physiotherapist.
The minister’s comments come amid widespread public interest and speculation surrounding the circumstances of the young woman’s death after reports emerged that she died in one of the ministry’s guest houses.
Providing his first detailed account of the incident, Umahi said the deceased had been living and working with him for about three years and enjoyed a close relationship with his family.
He also appealed to the deceased’s family to permit an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death, revealing that he had directed that the body should not be released for burial until the procedure was conducted.
He said, “My lawyers have spoken on my behalf. But one piece of information I want to correct is that the lady in question was like a daughter to me. She had stayed with me for three years. She was a staff member of the Federal Medical University. She was a nurse and not a physiotherapist. And her family and my family are like one family.”
The minister disclosed that the deceased had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital before her death, with medical bills allegedly paid by him.
According to him, “She has her medical records in Turkish Hospital, being paid by us. The last one was on the 5th of April, and it cost me N2.2 million. The records are there. I paid N2.2 million.”
Umahi also narrated what he said were the deceased’s final moments before she was found dead, claiming she had complained of bleeding from the nose during a telephone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before communication stopped.
He said, “She spoke to her boyfriend at the hour of her death and complained that she was bleeding from the nose. The boyfriend said, ‘No, you have to report it.’ She said it had stopped. The boyfriend then said, ‘Listen, I will not continue this conversation since you are bleeding. It will increase the bleeding.’
“She told the boyfriend, ‘Don’t cut the call.’ The boyfriend cut the call. Three minutes later, the boyfriend called again. She was not responding.”
According to the minister, the deceased had earlier informed her boyfriend that she intended to take a bath before communication ceased.
“Even in the morning, she told her boyfriend she was going to bathe because she had locked her door. When they discovered something was wrong, they broke down the door and discovered her dead. The tap was still running,” Umahi said.
The minister stressed that the guest house where the deceased died was located far from his personal residence, arguing that it was unfair to hold him personally responsible simply because the incident occurred within facilities linked to the ministry.
“What baffles me in this country is that everything becomes an opportunity. There is a guest house where she and other medical personnel stayed, and that is very far from where I stay. Does it mean that because somebody dies in the Ministry of Works, the minister must be accountable for that?” he asked.
Umahi lamented what he described as attempts to exploit the young woman’s death for political purposes.
“People should be careful when they want to use the unfortunate death of a young girl to play politics. If we have a hand in the killing, it will follow our families and us. But if we don’t have a hand in it and you are jumping into it, be careful. Life is spiritual,” he said.
The minister said the deceased had been one of his most dedicated staff members and that her death had left him devastated.
“It is very painful to me that the girl passed on. It is very difficult to replace her. She was one of my best workers,” he said.
Umahi disclosed that efforts by investigators to conduct an autopsy had so far been unsuccessful because the deceased’s family objected on cultural grounds.
He said, “We have been begging the parents to allow an autopsy to happen. They said it is against their culture. But we insisted through our lawyer that an autopsy should happen. I have directed that the corpse cannot be removed until an autopsy.”
The minister added that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to ensure a thorough probe and facilitate discussions with the family.
“We have reported to the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the case to Abuja. Let them beg the family to do an autopsy. I am also begging the family to meet with the Inspector-General so that he can convince them,” he said.
Umahi further claimed that the deceased had previously experienced similar episodes of nosebleed while accompanying him on official assignments.
According to him, “The boyfriend also told us that when we were in Lagos, she called him and said she was bleeding from the nose. He advised her to report to me so I could send her back to the hospital, but she didn’t want to stress me. He then told her to find a hospital around and seek treatment.”
He urged investigators to retrieve the telephone records between the deceased and her boyfriend.
“I have asked the police to go to the call logs. They should go to the call log of the boy and the call log of the girl, and they will hear the last conversation the girl had with the boyfriend at the hour of her death,” he said.
While maintaining that the investigation should run its full course, Umahi said he had seen no evidence suggesting criminal activity.
“I suspect no foul play because the other lady who stayed with her was sleeping in the same bed. Her room was still locked, and the door had to be broken before they discovered the body. The tap was still running because I think she was going to bathe,” he stated.
The minister also criticised the circulation of photographs allegedly taken at the mortuary, accusing some police officers of leaking misleading information.
He said, “When they took her to the mortuary, that was where the police took the picture. They did not dress her up in the mortuary before taking the picture and sending out damaging information.”
Umahi vowed to pursue legal action against media organisations he accused of spreading false information and cyberbullying the deceased.
“I have directed my lawyers to get across to those involved in cyberbullying this matter. We are going to test the law on that,” he added.
The PUNCH reports that the death of the female nurse has generated widespread public attention following reports and social media claims questioning the circumstances surrounding her demise at a government guest house linked to the Ministry of Works. The incident has prompted calls from some groups for an independent investigation, while police authorities have continued inquiries into the case.
An autopsy, which investigators consider crucial to determining the exact cause of death, has yet to be carried out following objections reportedly raised by the deceased’s family on cultural grounds. Police investigations are ongoing.
A High Court in Kogi has dismissed as false and misleading, a social media report alleging that it ordered the deregistration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
A statement issued on Thursday in Lokoja by the Court’s Chief Information Officer, Saqeeb Saeed, said it neither handled nor determined any case relating to the registration or deregistration of the party or any other political party in Nigeria.
It noted that the misleading publication was accompanied by photographs of the Chief Judge of Kogi, Josiah Majebi, and former Governor, Yahaya Bello.
It said that the photographs created what it described as a mischievous impression that the purported decision emanated from the high court.
The court noted that it would ordinarily not have responded to the publication but deemed it necessary to set the records straight.
It added that the report had the potential to undermine the integrity and dignity of the judiciary.
It urged members of the public, particularly content creators, to verify facts before publishing information capable of misleading the public.
The court warned that the dissemination of false information capable of tarnishing the image of judges and the High Court of Justice or other courts under its administrative control would no longer be tolerated.
It, therefore, urged the public to disregard the social media publication, reaffirming its commitment to dispensing justice fairly, diligently and without fear or favour. (NAN)
Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has alleged that there was an attempt on his life during a planned visit to Benue State in April 2025.
Obi made the claim while speaking at a high-level roundtable discussion themed “Nigeria in 2027 and Beyond”, organised by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin.
The former Anambra State governor said he had to cancel a planned humanitarian outreach to Benue State after the state government issued a cautionary statement advising him not to come.
He expressed disappointment over how the state government handled the proposed visit.
Recounting the episode in Berlin, Obi alleged that there were plans to assassinate him.
“You’re not aware that I wanted to go to Benue and the governor said I can’t come. You’re not aware that the governor said I shouldn’t come, and when I went there, there was a shootout,” Obi stated.
“What else do you need? Do you need somebody to die before you believe it? There was already a shootout when I tried to visit the place. Once they said, ‘Don’t come here.’ What else do you want me to tell you about the attempt on my life?”
Obi drew a connection with his decision to attend the Berlin event despite any potential risks, questioning what more proof was needed beyond the reported shootout.
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