Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Abia State Liaison Officer at the National Assembly, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa, has advised the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, to stop “wasting energy” on his alleged ambition to contest the 2027 Abia governorship election, saying he “lacks the capacity” to stop Governor Alex Otti’s second-term bid.
Chief Chinasa, who is Kalu’s kinsman and a major opponent in the 2023 election, urged the Deputy Speaker to end what he described as “needless hostilities” against Governor Otti.
Featuring virtually on a popular radio programme in the state, The Parliament, Chief Chinasa faulted Kalu for using President Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to Abia to attack the Governor.
During a reception for the President at Enyimba Stadium, Aba, Kalu had claimed that the funds accruing to Abia were not commensurate with the level of development on the ground. He also argued that President Tinubu — and not Governor Otti — should be credited for developments in the state, claiming that the President had made more resources available to governors through the removal of fuel subsidy.
Kalu stated: “I want us to be very vocal in praising the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for how he has made resources available to states when he removed the oil subsidy. He did not keep that money in Abuja; he sent it to the states. Please give credit to whom credit is due.
“The ones the President has done and the ones he has assisted, please make sure all Abians know that the President is supporting the Governor. If we need more from the President, we must give the true credit to the President so that he will release more for Governor Otti to do more for Abia State.”
Reacting, Chief Chinasa dismissed Kalu’s comments as hypocritical, arguing that Abia is not the only state receiving increased allocation, yet the Deputy Speaker singled out Otti for attack.
He maintained that Governor Otti deserved commendation for his developmental strides, adding that few states in the federation could boast of the volume of infrastructural transformation recorded in Abia under the present administration.
“Abians are proud of the Governor for his landmark achievements. In just two years, he has achieved what previous administrations could not achieve in decades,” Chinasa said.
According to him, Otti’s “monumental achievements in infrastructure, health, education, and other sectors of the state economy have made his second-term bid a walkover.”
He accused the Deputy Speaker of launching a campaign of calumny against the Governor because of his veiled governorship ambition, warning him to “properly count the cost before coming out to disgrace himself.”
Dismissing Kalu as “a small fly who lacks what it takes to challenge Otti,” Chinasa urged him to “have a rethink” and stop living in “false self-esteem.”
The Abia liaison officer expressed regret that instead of using his privileged position to attract development to his constituency, the state, and the South-East in general, Kalu was dissipating energy on needless political attacks.
“That was a futile attempt to score cheap political points by taking a swipe at the Governor and, ultimately, casting aspersions on our dear state,” he said.
Chinasa further cautioned Kalu against creating the false impression that he was under attack for supporting President Tinubu, insisting that the Deputy Speaker was merely hiding under the President’s name to advance his selfish political interest.
