Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has explained his decision not to respond to remarks made by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, regarding the 2027 governorship election. Kalu had confidently predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would displace Otti as governor in 2027.
Speaking to journalists at the Government House in Umuahia over the weekend, Otti clarified that he chose not to engage with Kalu’s comments, emphasizing his belief that power ultimately belongs to God, who decides the future.
“I am not in a position to predict what will happen in 2027. I do not subscribe to playing God,” Otti stated. “Power belongs to God, and He gives it to whom He wants.”
Kalu’s remarks, which were captured in a viral video, showed him asserting that it would be inappropriate for Abia State to be governed by a party other than the APC in 2027, especially given his position as the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives.
In reaction to this, former House of Representatives member Hon. Sam Onuigbo urged politicians in Abia State to avoid statements that could incite conflict between Governor Otti and Deputy Speaker Kalu. Onuigbo, an APC chieftain currently serving on the Board of the North East Development Commission, dismissed any suggestion of a political clash between the two leaders.
Onuigbo further encouraged politicians to refrain from making inflammatory remarks and to allow Otti and Kalu to focus on delivering positive outcomes for the people of Abia.
