Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has ignited controversy in Abia State with his bold declaration that Governor Alex Otti will be unseated by 2027, no matter the means. Kalu, in a recent media interview, claimed that Otti would be the last Labour Party governor in Abia and vowed not to allow an opposition party to maintain control of the state under his watch as Nigeria’s number six citizen.
Kalu’s remarks have sparked outrage in Abia, drawing sharp criticism from his fellow lawmakers. Hon. Obi Aguocha, a member of the House of Representatives from Abia, strongly condemned Kalu’s statement, labeling it as arrogant and power-hungry. Aguocha, who represents the Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South federal constituency, asserted in a statement on Monday that Kalu’s ambition to unseat Otti in 2027 was misguided and should be abandoned.
As a federal lawmaker on Labour Party platform, Aguocha said he was shocked by Kanu’s “open declaration of Abia State becoming an APC state in 2027”, upbraiding him for displaying indiscretion in his “quest for national political relevance.”
“My dear colleague, your open vituperation and remarks against our governor, LabourParty, and Abia State was very condescending, denigrating, and disrespectful in every sense of the word,” he told Kalu.
Labour Party lawmaker Hon. Obi Aguocha has strongly rebuked Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for his recent remarks about unseating Governor Alex Otti in 2027. Aguocha criticized Kalu’s repeated self-referencing as Nigeria’s “No.6” in leadership hierarchy, calling it an “open display of brazenness and rabid indiscretion.”
Aguocha reminded Kalu that both of them serve as representatives in the House, with Kalu representing Bende Federal Constituency. He emphasized that Kalu’s position as Deputy Speaker does not grant him the authority to declare the governorship seat of Abia State vacant in 2027.
Aguocha also warned Kalu to tread carefully, noting that the Bende Federal Constituency seat Kalu currently holds is far from secure, suggesting that Kalu might not return to the National Assembly in 2027. Aguocha further hinted that the Labour Party actually won the 2023 election in Bende Federal Constituency, implying that the results were manipulated in favor of the APC and Kalu.
“We can also be brazen enough to declare that seat vacant again,” Aguocha told the Deputy Speaker.
Hon. Obi Aguocha has doubled down on his criticism of Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, asserting that there will be “no vacancy” in Abia State’s Government House in 2027, despite Kalu’s apparent gubernatorial ambitions. Aguocha, who chairs the House Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of All Standing and Ad-Hoc Committees, emphasized that Abians are not ready to part with Governor Alex Otti after just one term, praising Otti’s leadership as a significant improvement after nearly 24 years of stagnation.
Aguocha also called out Kalu for contradicting himself, noting that while Kalu acknowledged Governor Otti’s positive impact on Abia, he simultaneously claimed Otti would be ousted in 2027. Aguocha described Kalu’s statements as “a brazen and uncontrolled outpouring of emotional fury,” pointing out that Kalu’s pledge to deliver Abia to the APC and President Bola Tinubu seemed more like an act of personal loyalty rather than a reflection of the people’s will.
“But I assure you that as you want Abians to repay Tinubu for his good works, so shall Abians repay Alex Otti for his mammoth achievements come 2027. Alex Otti will be reelected governor of Abia State,” Aguocha stated.
