Orji Uzor Kalu and T.A. Orji Forge Alliance to Unseat Governor Alex Otti
In a significant realignment of the political landscape in Abia State, former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu has held a strategic meeting with his successor, former Governor Theodore Ahamefule (T.A.) Orji. The high-profile encounter took place in Umuahia, marking a rare public display of unity between the two veteran politicians. Both leaders appear to be forging a common front with the specific objective of unseating the incumbent Governor Alex Otti in the upcoming 2027 governorship race.
The meeting was captured in a video circulating widely online, showing the two former governors alongside a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. During the gathering, the political heavyweights demonstrated their alignment with the national leadership by pledging their total loyalty to President Bola Tinubu. To underscore their commitment, the group was filmed chanting “on your mandate,” a signature slogan used by mobilization groups supporting the current presidency.
Senator Kalu, who currently represents Abia North, spoke during the event to define the purpose of this newly formed coalition, which they have christened ‘The Team.’ He explained that the platform brings together political actors who governed or held office in Abia State between 2009 and 2023. Kalu dismissed claims that previous administrations were irrelevant, insisting that his goal is to reclaim the state for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a direct challenge to the current administration, Kalu defended the legacies of the past three governors, including T.A. Orji and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. He argued that governance is continuous and that no single individual should dismiss the contributions of those who served before them. Kalu stated clearly, “Leadership is a relay,” and maintained that the collective experience of his group remains essential to the state’s political future.
Addressing the audience on the necessity of this alliance, Kalu noted that the group’s objective is to effect a definitive change in 2027. He asserted that the diverse political figures in attendance would work together regardless of their past differences to ensure a new direction for the state. He remarked, “I handed over to Senator T.A. Orji, who handed over to Okezie Ikpeazu. No single individual can claim we achieved nothing.”
Beyond the 2027 race, the coalition announced plans to initiate a lawsuit against Governor Alex Otti. The group intends to use the legal system to compel the governor to stop operating from his private country home in Nvosi and instead relocate to the Government House in Umuahia. This move signals a more aggressive and litigious phase of the opposition’s strategy against the sitting Labour Party administration.
Political observers believe this reconciliation marks a “full circle” moment for Abia politics, given the long history of friction between Kalu and T.A. Orji. By setting aside nearly two decades of rivalry, the duo is signaling that they consider Governor Otti to be a common political adversary. The alliance is expected to intensify the pressure on the Labour Party as it prepares to defend its mandate in the next general election.
The meeting concluded with a call for all former political office holders to join ‘The Team’ to strengthen its influence across the state’s seventeen local government areas. As the 2027 polls draw nearer, this unified opposition bloc is positioning itself as the primary alternative to the incumbent. Kalu and Orji have made it clear that their sights are set on a total sweep of elective positions for the APC in the next cycle.
