The member representing Ikwuano, Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), Hon Obi Aguocha, has reminded Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, that there was no vacancy in the state's government house in 2027.
The lawmaker who chairs the House Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of all Standing and Ad-Hoc Committees said contrary to Kalu's remarks, Governor Alex Otti of LP will be re-elected at the next general election based on his performance.
Aguocha said this in a statement reacting to the deputy speaker representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia's comments that the APC will take over the state in 2027.
In an interview on Spin FM, a local radio station in Abia, Kalu reportedly said in a viral video clip that he "will not be number six citizen of the country and another party will govern my state.
"The next election in 2027, the APC governor will be there. I am confident because we're working hard. I am satisfied because my government is working hard.
The President is working hard. And Abia will repay the president. A president who has given you the Southeast Development Commission will be repaid.
"A president that is appointing Abians into his administration will be repaid. A president allowing the attraction of democracy dividends to Abia will be repaid. We're not ungrateful people. Monkey will not work, and Baboon will chop. APC will not help the state to be strong, and the Labour Party will take the credit. No."
But Aguocha told Kalu that his open vituperation and remarks against the governor, Labour Party, and Abia State were condescending, denigrating, and disrespectful.
"Your personal opinion and partisanship aside. Your patently repeated boasting and referring to yourself as NO.6 in the order of leadership hierarchy of the Federal Government seen in the video clip portrays you less as a leader and more like a man with an open display of arrogance and rabid indiscretion. I would have let you know otherwise.
"My brother, we are distinguished colleagues, and you represent the good people of Bende Federal Constituency. Whilst we elected you to be our Deputy Speaker, it does not confer on you the audacity to declare vacant the seat of the governor of Abia State in 2027.
"By your striking admission that "Dr Alex Otti is your friend, and that he has done very well, too, for our people, but that you, Hon. Ben Kalu, owe your party, APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a duty to deliver Abia State, a Labour Party state to your party at the centre as payback for the President's political patronage to the Southeast viz; signing the Southeast Development Commission Act, etcetera.
"You declared that the President's party, the APC, will take over Abia State by 2027. I have known you to exhume boldness, often misconstrued as excessive arrogance but not this type of pugnacious instability.
"My beloved brother, with due respect, your comments lacked introspection and reeked of recklessness, discernment, lack of humility, and rationality and were very unreasonable," he noted.
The lawmaker also told the presiding officer that if his ambition is to become the governor of Abia state by 2027, it is his right. Still, he should make it plain rather than hiding in the "shadows of discontent and display of insincerity and intemperate political culture.
"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.
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"My Honourable colleague, you should know there's no vacancy in Abia State in 2027. As you are aware, for almost 24 years, this is the first time Abia has awakened to extraordinary leadership and governance strides. Anyone who doesn't appreciate Dr Alex Otti is an avowed enemy of progress.
"My dear brother, please be reminded that the Labour Party under the leadership of Dr Alex Otti took Abia State by a landslide in an election in which APC scored less than 4% of total state-wide votes to come to a distant 4th position while Labour Party secured at least 65% of the lawful votes rendered.
"The Abia people are still safe and will remain with a high-performing Alex Otti by 2027 and beyond. In light of this, my sincere advice for you, my worthy and esteemed colleague, should be to try a new political project if the position of the Deputy Speaker and the No.6 in the country is now belittling to your status."
