The Ikenga Gburugburu of Ohafia Ancient Kingdom and President of United Abia Artists and Patriots (UAAP), has reacted to the statement by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Benjamin Kalu who said the current governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti would be the last Labour Party governor to rule the state.
Mr Kalu said this in a viral video while addressing the chances of his party, the All Progressives Congress, in the next election.
According to Kalu, Mr Otti has done well as a Governor but the state needed to be taken over by APC because of President Bola Tinubu’s contribution to Abia state.
Kalu who is currently representing the Bende Federal Constituency, said, “This will be the last time that a Labour governor will govern Abia State. I say it without mincing words. The next governor of Abia State will be APC governor.
“I have told him publicly and privately that the APC governor will be next in Abia State. How it will happen, I don’t know, but it will happen.
”I am confident because my government is working hard, the President is working hard, and Abia will repay the president. The president that has given you the South East Development Commission will be repaid.
“A president that is appointing Abians into administration. A president who is attracting the dividends of democracy will be repaid. We are not ungrateful people. Monkey will not work, and baboon chop. APC will not help the state to be strong, and Labour will take the credit.”
The 53-year-old lawmaker further noted that he could not hold the position of the sixth citizen of the country while another party governed his state, adding that the 2027 election would end this.
“We are friends, we work together, but I will not be the number six citizen of the country, and another party will govern my state. The next election in 2027, APC will be there.
“APC will determine who will become the next governor of Abia State. I don’t care about who the person is. However, one thing I know is that the platform, APC, will be the next governor of Abia state.
“We are ready to work for Abia State and we are tired of being outside the government at the centre. We need to leverage the power of the centre to increase the development of Abia state,” he added.
But addressing Kalu’s utterances in a statement on Tuesday, Ikenga urged him to desist from making undemocratic statements, adding that Nigeria is not a one-party state.
Chief Ikenga vehemently rejected the notion that every Governor must come from the APC simply because the party holds power at the center.
This idea, he said contradicts democratic principles and the rule of law. According to him, there is no law in Nigeria mandating Governors to come from a particular party.
He added that APC’s grip on power was achieved democratically, but this does not give them the right to dictate governors’ political affiliations.
The statement reads, “The Ikenga Gburugburu of Ohafia Ancient Kingdom and President of United Abia Artists and Patriots (UAAP) feels compelled to address the recent utterances of Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, which threaten the fabric of our democracy. We urge him to desist from making undemocratic statements, as Nigeria is not a one-party state.
“We reject the notion that every governor must come from the APC simply because the party holds power at the center. This idea contradicts democratic principles and the rule of law. There is no law in Nigeria mandating governors to come from a particular party. The APC’s grip on power was achieved democratically, but this does not give them the right to dictate governors’ political affiliations.
“Abia State, under Governor Alex Otti OFR of the Labour Party, is thriving and making progress, as Hon. Kalu has admitted. We urge him to refrain from distracting the government with premature talks of the 2027 election, as there is no vacancy in Abia Lion House in 2027. It is too early for such politicking, and the governor should focus on delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
“Many have scrutinized the Southeast Development Commission Bill signed into law by President Tinubu. While the bill may appear to be a gesture of goodwill, many suspect it may be another APC ploy to woo the region. The bill’s funding mechanism raises concerns about its true purpose. We demand clarity on the implementation, ensuring it benefits the Southeast region and not just APC allies.
“We are concerned that the bill may be another avenue sponsored by APC to compensate political allies with money from Southeast States. This would be a betrayal of the trust reposed in the government by the people of the Southeast. We call on Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu to make the Southeast people understand the bill better by addressing the funding sources.
“His interest should be in the welfare of Ndị-Abia, not the ego of APC. It is unacceptable for a man of his office to prioritize party interests over the well-being of our people.
“In conclusion, the United Abia Artists and Patriots supports Governor Alex Chioma Otti OFR, whose leadership has turned the fortunes of Abia for the best. Every well-meaning citizen should support Dr. Alex Otti’s industrialization of the state rather than placing political ego above reality.”