Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has issued a strong warning to political actors planning to rig the 2027 governorship election in the state, telling them to “write their wills” before making such attempts.
Otti made the statement during the October edition of “Alex Otti Speaks to Abians,” a monthly interactive session held at the Government House in Umuahia on Thursday.
His comments were in response to a question concerning a recent statement by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu. Kalu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had boasted that his party would take over the leadership of Abia in the 2027 elections.
Reacting to the statement, Governor Otti said he is not afraid of political threats, insisting that elections in Abia must reflect the will of the people, not the manipulation of power brokers.
“I have heard that some people around him say, ‘Oh, they must take over this state, they must write results,’ but the only advice I have for them is that if they truly want to write results, they should write something else before that time. You know what it is? Their will,” Otti said.
The governor stressed that only God and the people of Abia State would determine who governs in 2027. He maintained that there would be no room for electoral malpractice under his watch.
Otti also addressed his personal relationship with Kalu, describing him as a friend and younger brother. He said despite Kalu’s recent attacks on his personality and government, he has chosen to forgive him in the spirit of peace.
“Benjamin Kalu is my friend and my younger brother. I am not angry with him. I forgive him. But we must all respect the rules of democracy and ensure that peace in Abia is not destroyed,” he added.
He used the opportunity to reaffirm his political loyalty, dismissing rumours that he plans to join the APC. According to him, he remains fully committed to the Labour Party (LP), under which he was elected governor in 2023.
“I am not joining the APC. I am a member of the Labour Party and that has not changed,” he clarified.
Governor Otti’s strong warning comes at a time when concerns are growing nationwide over the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process. Past elections have been marred by vote rigging, ballot box snatching, and result falsification — practices that have weakened public trust in democracy.
In 2023, Otti emerged as the first Labour Party governor in Abia State, defeating the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) after 24 years of control. His victory was widely seen as a shift in Abia’s political landscape, driven largely by public frustration with past administrations.
His latest statement is seen as an early message to both political opponents and the electorate that the 2027 elections will not be business as usual.
