“Anybody Planning To Challenge Governor Otti In 2027 Should Have His Head Examined”, — Chief Iheanyi Chinasa

The Abia State Liaison Officer at the National Assembly, Abuja, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa has cautioned political opponents who want to vie for the office of the Abia State governor in 2027 to go back and have a rethink as the incumbent governor, Dr Alex Otti has shown capacity and competence to defeat any challenger.

Chief Chinasa gave the warning in an interview on Flow FM Political Programme, ”The Legislature”, on Saturday, October 4, 2025.

His warning is coming in reaction to the speech of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu during the commissioning of the reconstructed Port Harcourt Road Aba by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister for Works, Senator Dave Umahi on Friday, October 3, 2025.

The Deputy Speaker had during his address focused more on the President, thanking him for providing the money for the projects going on in Abia State through increased federal allocation to states as a result of the subsidy removal.

In the words of Hon. Benjamin Kalu, “I want us to be very vocal in praising the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on how he has made resources available to the states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria when he removed the oil subsidy. He did not keep that money in Abuja. He sent it to the States. It is my challenge to the commissioner for information and all the media houses in Abia State, please give credit to whom credit is due.”

“The ones the President has done and the ones he has assisted, please make sure all Abians know that the President is supporting the governor of Abia state. It is important because it is the philosophy of the Igbos that if you thank a helper, he will do more. If we need more from the President, we must give the true credit to the President so that he will release more for governor Otti to do more for Abia state.”

Responding, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa said the speed of Hon. Benjamin Kalu was an attempt to score cheap political points, saying the swipe to place Abia and Abians in an ungrateful mode was out of desperation.

“That was an attempt to score some cheap political browning points by taking his swipe and casting our dear states in an ungrateful mode.”

The former House of Representatives candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 opined that it was not necessary to take the glory for the project to the President.

“And the question is, was it necessary in his speech? That paragraph by paragraph, the President took center stage. Some have alluded it to his desperation Some have alluded it to so many other things I just can’t bring myself to talk about here. So you be the judge it’s all there for all to see.”

“Anybody who is planning to challenge His Excellency should go and have his head examined. It makes up to probably no sense, except the person wants to exercise their right as a citizen.”