He must show endearing intelligence and discretion, he must display vision and gumption. Beyond the soundbites that make for good political campaign rhetoric and nice headlines, he must give Abians sound, genuine, cogent, and concrete reasons why they must pitch their tent with him
The preparation for the 2027 election is gathering momentum, and activities that characterised the build-up to general elections are shifting into high gear even before the electoral umpire blows the whistle for the start of electioneering. The situation is no different in Abia state, where the political atmosphere is already tense and emotions are running high. The battle of wits and nerves among influential politicians and power brokers only combined to turn the state into a pressure cooker.
Abia witnessed a seismic shift in 2023. The state has been governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999 but the general verdict of the residents of the state on the party’s performance is appalling and embarrassing. The state was in a desolate and deplorable state under the PDP and its residents stridently yearned for a new beginning. They got their wish in 2023 when incumbent governor, Alex Otti, won the gubernatorial election in the State. His assumption of power heralded a new era for the state. It brought a breath of fresh air. It ignited a spark of progress. It engendered a sense of purpose and direction and ushered in a period of excellence and growth that in no way compares to the retrogression, decadence, gloom and perversion of the past.
However, this new lease of life, this revival of a state that was in doldrums for years is under threat. A political tectonic is threatening to disrupt this newfound stability, progress and developments that many Abians claim they are now enjoying. This potential derailment is being spearheaded by bigwigs in the All Progressives Congress (APC). The deputy of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, who represents the Bende federal constituency of Abia State in the lower chamber of the National Assembly, has been at daggers drawn with Governor Otti for a while now over the performance of the latter’s government in the state.
Last week, Kalu, while addressing members of the Renewed Hope Partners (RHP) in Umuahia on Sunday, declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was on course to take over power in Abia State in 2027. Kalu said the performance of Otti since 2023 has been woeful and abysmal, noting that the increase in federal allocation to the state has not translated to any meaningful development. He accused Otti of a lack of accountability and transparency, adding that the governor is using publicity and propaganda to mask his incompetence and corruption. One does not have to be a genius to know that Kalu’s criticism has less to do with the actual performance of the governor but more about his own political ambition of being the state governor in 2027.
No one can and should begrudge Kalu for aspiring to lead the state. It is his right as a Nigerian to contest for any elective position and he is eminently qualified to vie for the Abia State gubernatorial election in 2027. As things stand today, he is the leader of the APC in the state, and he won’t encounter much difficulty in clinching the party’s ticket should he declare an interest in contesting the next Abia gubernatorial election. However, picking the ticket of the APC is a different ball game from the actual election where he will square off against a popular and likeable incumbent whose approval ratings are high.
The people of Abia will be the ones to decide whether they are unhappy and dissatisfied with Otti’s performance and want him gone in 2027; that’s not for Kalu to determine. But looking at the pattern of the recently conducted highly controversial gubernatorial election in Edo State which was marred by voter suppression, rigging, and violence, Kalu, from the tone of his speech and the confidence he exuded during the public outing where he condemned and decried Otti’s performance, may not be relying on the people to determine his fate at the polls. He may be banking on the deployment of federal might to make sure things go his way.
Otti, while reacting to Kalu’s harangue, noted his criticism and acknowledged his right to contest for governor. He, however, pointed out that it is left to the residents to decide whether he has performed well or not. The governor, as if to inform the public of what he believed to be Kanu’s sinister antics and dangerous political move, declared that nobody will write election results in Abia and anyone planning to do that must also write their will.
As the 2027 general elections draw close, the political squabble and face-off between Otti and Kalu will intensify as both characters seek to exert their influence and assert their dominance on the state. While Otti as an incumbent has an upper hand and, if the words on the street are anything to go by, is deeply liked by the people who are ready to walk through the fire for him to ensure his re-election, Kalu’s ambition and political clout cannot be discounted as the nation’s number six citizen and the highest ranking member of the APC in the Abia.
Furthermore, Kalu must know that his aggression, passion and eagerness to become the next Abia governor is an endeavour that cannot be achieved solely by castigating and talking down on Otti’s government, which is what oppositions always do in a democratic state. He must show endearing intelligence and discretion, he must display vision and gumption. Beyond the soundbites that make for good political campaign rhetoric and nice headlines, he must give Abians sound, genuine, cogent, and concrete reasons why they must pitch their tent with him and vote out a man many feel released them from the shackles of corruption and bondage of bad governance.
All this he must do within the ambit of the law and confines of the constitution. The naked impunity, crude manipulation, outright rigging and violence that have characterised the gubernatorial elections that APC won in recent years must not be what he is banking on to get him to the government house in 2027.
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