President Bola Tinubu’s frustration over his dismal 4% performance in Abia State during the 2023 presidential election has been confirmed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who warned the South East against political isolation ahead of 2027. Kalu, speaking via his verified Facebook page on Sunday, April 27, 2025, lamented the region’s disconnect from Nigeria’s mainstream political power structure, urging immediate corrective action.
The Abia North senator hosted a critical stakeholders meeting at his Abuja residence, focusing on reorganizing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State and building stronger grassroots support. He emphasized that the gathering was purely a party affair, distancing the agenda from any discussions about the state’s current governor, Alex Otti, or criticisms of his administration.
Citing statistics from the last two election cycles, Kalu expressed shock that while former President Muhammadu Buhari secured 68% of votes in parts of Abia North in 2019 under the APC banner, Tinubu could barely scrape 4% across the entire state in 2023 despite the presence of notable APC figures. The development, he said, left the President visibly disappointed and questioning the party’s structure in the region.
Kalu attributed the poor electoral showing to deep-seated disunity among APC members in Abia and the broader South East, warning that such division could cost the zone dearly in terms of federal appointments, infrastructure projects, and other dividends of democracy. He appealed to party loyalists to shelve personal ambitions and work towards a resounding APC victory in the 2027 elections.
Insisting on his non-confrontational stance regarding political successors, the former governor reiterated his policy of silence on the performance of those who assumed office after him, emphasizing that only voters possess the legitimate right to evaluate elected leaders. He stressed that his mission remains focused on building political cohesion within APC ranks rather than engaging in verbal political warfare.
The call for unity comes amid rising political tension as preparations for 2027 gather pace, with Kalu positioning himself as a central figure in rallying the South East towards greater political relevance. “The South East must sit where others are seated,” he stated, signaling an urgent need for realignment if the region hopes to influence Nigeria’s next power configuration meaningfully.
