The Labour Party (LP) caucus in the House of Representatives has waded into the war of attrition between Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and Governor Alex Otti, advising the deputy speaker to avoid inciting remarks and respect the office of the governor.
The caucus, in a statement signed by its leader, Hon. Ginger Onwusigbe, on Wednesday, advised the deputy speaker to “Engage in sober self-reflection. His hubris and incisive remarks are unbecoming of a deputy speaker of the National Assembly”.
The statement said, “He must remember that many have occupied and will still occupy that seat; decorum, not arrogance, defines true leadership.
“Governor Alex Otti has facilitated and is executing numerous federal projects across Abia — including Port Harcourt Road, Ohafia-Arochukwu Road, Omenuko Bridge, and the 25 km Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road, soon to be flagged off.
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“These are tangible results, a kind of leadership that brings hope to ordinary people, creates jobs, opens up communities, and makes Abia a pride of the nation again”
The lawmakers said they “Have observed with dismay a recent unfortunate political development in our dear state, Abia, occasioned by the unguarded and unhealthy utterances of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
“Recall 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 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.
“Such careless talk, repeated shortly after assuming 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.
“Since then, Hon. Kalu has carried on with arrogance and recklessness, making provocative, sycophantic, and inflammatory statements both publicly and privately. His 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, OFR.
The caucus maintained that “Governor Otti has consistently shown respect for both the age and the exalted Office of Mr President, maintaining a cordial and constructive relationship with him. In the same spirit, Ben Kalu 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.
“Unlike what is often seen elsewhere, opposition political office holders are met with hostility in their states. Governor Alex Otti has consistently demonstrated political maturity and magnanimity towards Hon. Kalu.
“The Governor extended goodwill to him upon his emergence as Deputy Speaker, including hosting an elaborate state reception in his honour and attended by Labour Party officials and federal legislators.
“Governor Otti directed all Abia LP House members to support Kalu’s emergence as deputy speaker. This cooperation should have been reciprocated by Hon. Kalu. Sadly, he has chosen instead to stoke the embers of political disharmony in Abia.
“As he always boasts to be “number six” in national protocol, Hon. Kalu ought to leverage his office to support these projects for Abia’s growth, rather than playing cheap politics in his six years as a member of the House of Representatives”.
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