Is Abia State Governor Desperately Wanting To Lick His Vomit?
Friday (Nkwo) 20-03-2026.
Governor Otti of Abia State was said to have, for a long time, boasted publicly that he would never—never— rejoin the All Progressives Congress, APC, a Political Party he was reportedly a member of about 2014, after he had assumably defected from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and joined All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, a Political Party on which ticket he was believed to have contested for Abia State Governorship in 2015 but lost, and also used it to contest in 2019 for the same Governorship seat but reportedly lost more miserably before joining Labour Party.
Some prominent Leaders of the APC in Abia State had reportedly extended an olive branch to him to rejoin the Party but hubris, that is overestimated self- confidence allegedly would not allow him see reason that without APC in Abia State he will be a one-time Governor.
Of course, Governor Otti might have underrated the the overwhelming majority of APC members in the State. Probably if he had been circumspect enough, the Governor would not have become allegedly so quarrelsome as he had likely manifested by, may be, constantly attacking verbally some prominent Leaders of the Party in Abia State such as former Governor and Ranking Senator representing Abia-North in the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, CFR.
In recent times, the Social Media have been awash with all manner of attacks on Senator Orji Uzor Kalu by the Governors aides. What was his offence?
He said that every democratic step must be taken to guarantee electoral victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in Abia State in 2027. He also gave psychological support to Abians that he will stand solidly behind any Abian apparently subjected to any form of humiliation by any authority in the State. He was particularly worried that a Journalist in the State was embarrassingly humiliated just for asking for accountability. Senator Kalu expressed strong desire that the State Government should allow the Local Government Councils in Abia State effective control of resources most generously released to them by President Tinubu, who had severally asked State Governors to allow the Councils access to their funds. Former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu also, for the umpteenth time, queried the rationale behind Governor Otti allegedly residing in Isialangwa-South and running the affairs of State Government from his private residence, instead of operating from Umuahia, the constitutional seat of Government.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has not threaten any person in any of his public speeches, either recently or in the time past. His stand that Abians are equal to any brutal intimidation could have arisen from his probable response to a statement allegedly made by the State Governor to the effect that any ‘person planning to rig election in 2027 should first write his will’.
If it is true the Governor made such a statement, it would naturally imply that he might be planning to use Non-State Actors to influence the electoral process in 2027. There is no gainsaying that ‘write their will’ in such a context could be a metaphor for violence.
It may not be ruled out that Governor Otti had underrated the managerial ability of Leaders of APC in Abia State to come together and conduct very harmonious peaceful Congresses. He probably had calculated that the Party would have been disintegrated as a result of conflicts anticipated from the Congresses. But probably to his surprise and shock, APC in Abia State, like the Rock of Gibraltar, became more than united, solid and focused.
The Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives has done a lot of mobilization for APC in the State. The Party is remarkably standing on her two legs.
Even on Friday 13th March, 2026, the former Governor and Ranking Senator representing Abia-North in the 10th Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, hosted Executive Members of both his Reality Organization, and OUK Movement, numbering more than Six Thousand, at his Camp Neya in Igbere. Being a strategist and masterplanner, he used ABSIEC Wards for his mobilization, and the result was great. The following day, Saturday, 15th March, 2026, Senator Kalu inaugurated a 28-Member Technical Committee of a Socio-political Organization known as OUR TEAM 2027, at Umuahia. The major agenda of the Technical Committee is to produce a Blueprint for massive delivery of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and all other candidates of APC in Abia State in 2027. The Committee is composed of experienced Politicians, Bureaucrats and Technocrats.
It now appears Governor Otti has become apprehensive of the overt strength, significance and, obvious implications of APC in the State, and may now be running from pillar to post making entreaties for an opportunity to be allowed entry into APC.
If that is true, it would mean that the Governor is neither principled nor stable. It could only mean that he is desperate for power, not morality and principles.
The Governor may have found himself in a serious quagmire, having, most likely, lost the likes of Senators Enyinnah Harcourt Abaribe, and Austine Akobundu.
Again, with the existential uncertainties surrounding Labour Party, Governor Otti has, really, found himself in a dilemma.
For whatever it may be worth, Equity Global Reporters Ltd would not wish that Governor Otti licks his vomit, after all the boast he allegedly had made, coupled with the ceaseless vituperations by his aides that nothing would make them leave Labour Party for APC, are exempary of man’s inadequacy.
Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, and Publisher of Equity Global Reporters Ltd.
