Press Release by Labour Party
Threat of Thuggery and Violence: Senator Kalu’s Era of Terror is Over
A few days ago, the Senator who is unfortunately representing Abia North in the Senate, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, had during a political gathering convened by him, made a threat of thuggery and violence against innocent Abians who may want to stop him through the ballot from returning to the Senate.
Kalu also made several uncomplimentary comments against Governor Otti and his government.
Kalu’s utterances during his speech gave him in as a man in panic. He sounded very angry, threatened, troubled and traumatised.
Beyond his angry and reckless utterances, Kalu also did what he loves to do so much-telling lies that have the propensity to ridicule him and expose his hollowness.
Some of the lies included that: Governor Otti is merely renovating roads built by him.That the Strategic 67Kilometer Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Abiriba-Ohafia road built by Governor Otti was awarded at N4.7 billion per kilometre, meaning that the road was built at the cost of N315b. That he never slept in his house in the village during his tenure as Governor. That he didn’t have enough money to govern when he was Governor but that Governor Otti has all the money in the world now. That ABSU school fee was N200,000 before he assumed office but he reduced it to N7,500.
That what is happening in Abia under Governor Otti is propaganda and not governance.
If one may ask; was it the Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Abiriba-Ohafia road that was a death trap during Kalu’s administration that he suddenly claimed he built and Otti “renovated”?
Was it the Ohafia-Arochukwu Road that was abandoned for several years that Kalu is claiming to have built?
What of the Ndi-Okereke Ozuabam-Arochukwu Road that denied the people access to their villages for decades? Did Kalu build Omenuko Bridge, Port Harcourt Road and Ohanku road in his dream?
If we are to accept Kalu’s false and untelligent allegation of building the Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Abiriba-Ohafia road at N4.7 billion per kilometre, it would mean that close to half of the entire allocations received by the government since assumption of office has been spent on the road?
While we would never derive joy in making a comparison between the Otti administration and Kalu’s era of ruins, it’s shocking to listen to Kalu tell lies that imply his perception of Abians as dunces without any sense of history.
How could Kalu suddenly deny the opprobrious era that saw his regime literally institutionalise his House and family as a shrine of sorts where allegiance was forcefully extracted before an appointment or employment was made?
May we remind Kalu, that Governor Otti has rebuilt many structures and buildings in the Government House and that such buildings are presently being occupied by civil and public servants.
Again, Governor Otti is building beautiful edifices to serve the Governor and other key government functionaries in the Government House, so no amount of noise or blackmail can distract the Governor from what he is doing.
If Kalu and his stooges had paid attention to the Government House by upgrading the buildings inherited from the military the way he prioritised his Camp Neya home as Governor, the Government House wouldn’t be in that decayed and dilapidated state Governor Otti met it
Most ABSU students are today paying a little over N100,000 as school fees, yet, Kalu claimed that students of the institution were paying N200,000 about 26 years ago before he reduced it to N7,500. What manner of man is Kalu?
Kalu in one breadth claimed that what’s happening in Abia is propaganda and in another breadth stated that the state government should thank the federal government for supporting Governor Otti to build massive projects. So projects are being executed?
Kalu claimed that the quantum of money accrued to the state under Governor Otti had not been seen before, yet, Kalu was convicted for stealing over N12.7 billion. As at the year 2000, exchange rate was N102 per dollar which means the dollar equivalent of the stolen N12.7 billion is over $180 million today . At N1,500 per dollar, $180 million today is the equivalent of N270 billion. This means that today, Kalu would have been convicted for stealing N270 billion.
Kalu had thought that he could blackmail Governor Otti into striking a deal and forming an alliance that would see him have an easy sail back to the Senate, but when that wasn’t working, he resorted to throwing tantrums. Since the Otti team gave him a one-off response, Kalu completely lost his mind, spewing gibberish and pouring venom and vituperations that ridicule his age, demean his office and put a question mark on his emotional stability.
The reason for Kalu’s anger and unprovoked tantrums are not far-fetched. Kalu was not used to free and fair election. He was not used to doing things right and straight, hence he fears that he may not have the opportunity to write results or be declared prematurely and fraudulently this time around.
Kalu claimed he built his house before his inauguration as Governor, yes we agree. But Kalu didn’t tell his loyal audience that he only built a moderate single Duplex and hurriedly invited the outgoing Military Administrator Col. Anthony Obi to commission it a day before hand over, only for him to acquire several plots of land and build palacious structures after his inauguration as Governor. Sadly, Kalu keeps deceiving the public that he built his “Camp Neya” before becoming Governor.
While it’s within his right to present himself as Abia State Elon Musk before he became Governor, he should know that there are people who have the necessary information to burst his facade that has lasted for decades.
Kalu boasted that Abia books would be opened against Governor Otti; what a welcome development. We want to challenge Kalu not to wait anymore before opening the books, because if he doesn’t, we may be forced to revisit and reopen his books and when we do, we may be forced to remind him that he is an ex convict with massive bagage, and that he is unfit to be involved in governance, let alone threaten anyone.
We are willing to reopen the books and prove that Slok Air, Slok Ship and Slok Bank were all pre-1999 facades that became a reality few months after assumption of office.
Just like his conviction proved that, in spite of the noise about what he has, the only visible and notable investment he has was acquired with Abia funds as established by the court.
Finally, we understand Kalu’s incurable obsession with seeing people worship him and his family, unfortunately, he’s yet to accept the reality that the era of such inglorious practice is over and that the threat, thuggery and terror that reigned supreme during his regime have become a history, hence no body will allow him to threaten Abians again and get away with it.
Chidiebere Okoro
State Publicity Secretary
Labour Party
March 17, 2026.
