Ex-Governors and APC have moved to glock Otti’s re-election as political tension rises ahead of Abia 2027 guber poll.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that a political tension is building in Abia State ahead of the 2027 general election as a coalition of former governors and opposition leaders moves to challenge the re-election bid of Governor Alex Otti.
The opposition figures, many of whom previously governed the state, have vowed to ensure that Otti does not secure a second term. They have intensified political meetings, media engagements and public statements critical of his administration.
Recently, former governors Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, alongside other political heavyweights, announced the formation of an alliance to unseat Otti and return Abia State to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Meeting in Umuahia, the leaders unveiled a platform called “The Team,” which they said would coordinate their political strategy against Otti and other non-APC interests in the state. They also threatened legal action against the governor, alleging that he is running Abia from his private residence in Nvosi instead of the Government House in Umuahia.
Kalu, who currently represents Abia North in the Senate, said the group consists of experienced leaders determined to reclaim relevance in Abia politics. He rejected claims that past administrations achieved little, insisting their legacies remain visible across the state.
“Leadership is a relay. I handed over to Senator T.A. Orji, who handed over to Okezie Ikpeazu. No one can claim we achieved nothing,” Kalu said.
‘Otti is only repainting roads’ — Kalu
The former governor also accused Otti of underperforming despite receiving what he described as significantly higher federal allocations.
According to Kalu, the governor is merely rehabilitating infrastructure built during his tenure between 1999 and 2007.
“He is just repainting and rebuilding the roads I built. I have not seen any new major roads,” Kalu claimed, adding that he would no longer support Otti’s re-election, despite backing him in 2023.
Opposition is chasing shadows — Otti’s aide
Reacting, Governor Otti’s Special Adviser on Policies and Interventions, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, dismissed the opposition’s moves as desperate and self-serving.
Speaking in Umuahia, Anokwuru said it was ironic for former leaders who allegedly mismanaged the state to now seek a return to power, relying on the name of President Bola Tinubu rather than their own records.
He challenged the credibility of the former governors, saying the people of Abia are better placed to judge their past performances.
Analysts: Former governors protecting their interests
Public affairs analyst, Nduka Odo of Peaceland University, Enugu, said the growing opposition against Otti is driven largely by entrenched political and economic interests.
He noted that Kalu, Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu all belong to the same political lineage, which ensured a smooth handover of power among them until Otti’s emergence.
“Otti came in without the backing of his predecessor, and he changed the system. Under him, Abia stopped paying salaries and allowances to former governors and their deputies. That alone is enough to make them uncomfortable,” Odo said.
He argued that the alliance against Otti is less about party ideology and more about protecting lost privileges.
Rights groups back Otti’s performance
The President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), Olu Omotayo, said Otti’s achievements are visible across the state and speak louder than political attacks.
According to him, development does not require propaganda, as residents are already pointing to roads, projects and improved governance under the current administration.
“Compare what Otti has done in a little over two years with what the former governors did in 16 years. The difference is clear,” Omotayo said.
Similarly, Onyebuchi Igboke, Convener of the Office of the Citizens and Project Manager of Advocacy Partnership for Good Governance, said the opposition against Otti reflects a clash between performance-based governance and patronage politics.
He said Otti’s record in office, including infrastructure development and public sector reforms, has earned him support even beyond Abia State.
“His performance in just over two years outweighs what those three former governors achieved in 24 years combined. What we are seeing now is driven by personal interests and the quest for relevance,” Igboke said.
As Abia heads toward 2027, political battle lines are clearly drawn, with Otti’s supporters pointing to his performance while former political power brokers mobilise to regain control of the state.
