WRITTEN BY GORDI UDEAJAH
Abia Labour Party ( LP ) members Caucus in the House of Representatives have cautioned the Deputy Speaker of the house, Hon Benjamin Kalu, of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ), who represents Bende Constituency, tasked him to engage in sober self-reflection, and ruled that his hubris and inciteful remarks are unbecoming of a Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
The Caucus led by Hon Ginger Onwusibe, representing Isiala Ngwa North/South Constituency, in a press release, also accused Hon Kalu of always boasting to be “number six” in national protocol, but instead of leveraging his office to support projects for Abia’s growth, he was always playing cheap politics in his six years as a member of the House of Representatives.
” Since then, Hon. Kalu has carried on with arrogance and recklessness, making provocative, sycophantic, and inflammatory statements both publicly and privately”.
They stated that their caution was sequel to a recent unfortunate political development in Abia state “occasioned by Hon Kalu’s unguarded and unhealthy utterances as Deputy Speaker.
Hon Kalu had on Sunday at Umuahia, the state capital while addressing APC rally, reiterated that his APC party will democratically dislodge the governor Alex Otti led Labour Party government in 2027, but ensure the re-election of President Bola Tinubu, to place the state and federal governments under the APC .
He also alleged that the Otti administration has not done projects commensurate with the state monthly income, which he put at N38 – N40 billion, against the N18 billion average published by the state few days ago.
Caucus recalled that in 2024, when elected officials were still settling down to the serious business of governance and delivering dividends of democracy to the peace-loving people of Abia, Hon. Kalu fired the first political salvo.
” He ( Hon Kalu ) openly reiterated a statement he had made in the past, boasting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would “capture Abia” in 2027, flaunting his “number six” position in the federal hierarchy as if political power were a personal trophy”.
Caucus held that such careless talk, repeated shortly after Hon Kalu assumed office as Deputy Speaker, was not only unintelligent and insensitive but also unbecoming of a public officer who ought to embody humility and emotional intelligence.
According to the Caucus, Hon Kalu’s conduct reveals a deliberate strategy, to incite the Federal Government and the ruling party at the centre against the Abia State Government, while peddling falsehoods to discredit the administration of Governor Alex Otti, adding that his recent actions are not about service, but personal ambition and power-drunk tendencies, even at the expense of peace of Abia state.
The Caucus argued that if the state Governor Dr Alex Otti has consistently shown respect for both the Age and the Exalted Office of Mr. President, and maintains a cordial and constructive relationship with him, “Hon Kalu, in the same spirit, is expected to accord due respect to the Governor, not only in recognition of his office as the state’s Chief Executive but also in Deference to his Age, in keeping with Igbo cultural values and proper upbringing.
” If the massive public endorsement of Governor Otti’s achievements, witnessed recently in Aba as applauded by the President, who was ably represented by Distinguished Senator David Umahi, and the good people of Abia during completed roads commissioning unsettles Hon. Kalu, it is no justification to pursue mischief and incitement”.
Caucus therefore urged Abians and Nigerians to disregard Hon. Kalu’s empty boasts and divisive rhetoric, describing his actions as being driven by selfish ambition, not love for the people, warning that ” If he ( Hon Kalu) persists on this trajectory, he may find himself at odds with Ndi Abia”.
Concluding, the Caucus asserted that
Governor Otti enjoys a cordial relationship with Mr. President, and that no amount of political scheming by Honorable Kalu can disrupt Abia’s steady progress.
” The people of Abia are politically discerning. They can see through Hon. Kalu’s selfish antics and understand that his fight is not against one man, but against the collective interest of good governance, peace, and progress in Abia State.
” We call on all Abians- young and old, market women and traders, professionals, party members, elders and elites across party lines and political persuasions to stand united in support of the transformational work of Governor Alex Otti, OFR, and to reject attempts by any individual to drag the state backwards for personal gain”.
