Key Points

• Otti warns APC against alleged 2027 election plot in Abia.

• Governor accuses Kalu of violating INEC campaign rules.

• Kalu vows APC will reclaim Abia State in 2027.

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has warned Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and other All Progressives Congress (APC) members against alleged plans to rig the 2027 governorship election in the state.

Otti, who spoke during a press conference in Umuahia on Thursday, said those planning to manipulate the election results “should prepare their wills.”

He made the remark while reacting to Kalu’s statement that the APC would take over power in Abia by 2027.

Otti dismisses APC threats

“I’ve heard some people around him saying they must take over the state, they will write results,” Otti said.

“The only advice I have for them is that if they truly want to write results, they should write something else before that time.

You know what it is, their will. Because this is our state. Nobody can intimidate us.”

When asked if Kalu’s comments threatened his political future, Otti said he was not bothered.

He described the deputy speaker as “my brother” and noted that contesting an election was Kalu’s constitutional right.

“I heard he wants to contest the governorship in 2027. That’s fine. It’s his fundamental right. Nobody should stop him,” Otti, who was elected under the Labour Party, said.

Governor accuses Kalu of breaking INEC campaign rules

Otti, however, accused the deputy speaker of “demarketing” the APC in Abia by campaigning before the official start of the election period. He said such actions violated the rules of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“We must respect the law,” Otti said. “If INEC releases the timetable and says this is when campaigns begin, and you start before then, you put yourself in harm’s way. You can even be disqualified before the election.”

He added that Abia people should remain calm and allow the electoral process to take its normal course. “Abia people will decide who will be their governor,” he said.

Kalu insists APC will take over Abia

During a recent visit to Abia, Kalu told his supporters to prepare for a change of government in 2027. He said the APC was determined to take over the state from the Labour Party.

“APC will take over Abia State. And you know why? So that what is released from Abuja will get to your ward,” Kalu told his supporters.

Otti’s comments have since sparked political debate across the state, with residents divided over the governor’s blunt response and what it signals for the 2027 election season.