Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has issued a stern warning to Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), cautioning them against any plot to rig the 2027 governorship election in the state.
Speaking at a press conference in Umuahia on Thursday, Mr Otti, of the Labour Party, said he had received reports of plans by some APC loyalists to manipulate election results in 2027.
He warned that such attempts would have dire consequences.
“I’ve heard some people around him (Mr Kalu) saying they must take over the state, that they will write results,” Mr Otti said.
“The only advice I have for them is that if they truly want to write results, they should write something else before that time you know what it is, their will. Because this is our state. Nobody can intimidate us.”
Mr Otti made the statement in response to recent comments by Mr Kalu, who had boasted that the APC would defeat the Labour Party and take control of Abia in 2027.
When asked if he felt threatened by the deputy speaker’s remarks, the governor said he was unbothered. “I heard he (Mr Kalu) wants to contest the governorship in 2027, that’s fine. It is his fundamental right. Nobody should stop him,” Mr Otti said.
He, however, accused the deputy speaker of “demarketing” the APC in the state through his approach and rhetoric.
Mr Otti also condemned early political campaigns, saying they violated the guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We must respect the law. If INEC says campaigns start at a certain time, you must wait. If you begin early, you risk disqualification,” he said. “So, why gather people and say you’re taking over the state in 2027? That’s premature campaigning.”
The governor advised Mr Kalu to wait for the official campaign period before declaring his ambitions publicly. “Once INEC blows the whistle, let him campaign. Abia people will decide who their governor will be,” Mr Otti added.
Mr Kalu, during a recent visit to his home state, had told supporters to prepare for an APC takeover, saying, “APC will take over Abia State.
And you know why? So that what is released from Abuja will get to your ward.”
Mr Otti’s warning marks a deepening of the political rivalry between the Labour Party and APC ahead of the 2027 elections, as both sides position themselves for a heated contest in Abia.