By James Nwachukwu
One Ifeanyi Maduako, a self-styled political adviser writing from Owerri, is fast proving himself a meddlesome interloper in Abia politics.
In a piece captioned “Benjamin Kalu And Abia 2027” published in THISDAY online on April 24, 2025, and rehashed under a different headline, “Abia 2027: A Candid Advice to Kalu” in The Nation online, Maduako presumes to chart a political path for the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR. But his intervention reeks of bias and reads like a hatchet job. He writes less as an analyst and more as a town crier for Governor Alex Otti’s camp.
Though his dateline says Owerri, Imo State, one wonders why an indigene of Imo would be so deeply invested in an Abia contest between Kalu and Otti. Could Maduako be a pseudonym shielding actors within the corridors of power?
Maduako’s piece also comes on the heels of a failed attempt to dissuade Kalu from his rumored gubernatorial ambition with the recent appointment of his wife, Dr. Ezinne Kalu, as Chairman of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Board by Governor Otti. The timing suggests Otti’s camp is increasingly unsettled by growing calls for Kalu to enter the 2027 race.
To set the record straight and as a rebuttal to Maduako’s piece, the following must be stressed:
As Maduako rightly said, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has every right to contest. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees every qualified citizen the right to vote and be voted for. Deputy Speaker Kalu does not need Maduako’s permission or his jaundiced “advice” to exercise that right. His attempt to dictate Kalu’s political future exposes him as a meddler with no stake in Abia’s progress.
His fear betrays him. The entire article is a giveaway. Maduako and his paymasters are already jittery. If he was so sure “he can never defeat the incumbent governor in a free, fair and credible election,” he would not be sweating in the pages of newspapers begging Kalu not to run. The truth is simple: he knows Kalu is a political force with capacity, competence, and national appeal. He fears his entry because it ends Otti’s free ride.
The “federal might” scarecrow should be stopped. This lazy “federal might” narrative is the last refuge of those who have no record to campaign on. Abia people are not fools. They have since noticed that Abia under Otti runs on propaganda and so, will not vote propaganda in 2027. If Otti has performed and so loved, let him return to the people. If Kalu decides to run, he will meet the people too. Democracy is not anybody’s private estate.
Kalu is not a political boy. Maduako’s petty attempt to diminish the Deputy Speaker as “a former political boy” is laughable. His place in the political hierarchy and protocol of the country is conspicuously known. He earned it by merit, grit, and the mandate of his people. That you are “gutted” by his rise says more about your bitterness than his credentials.
2031 blackmail will not work. Telling a man to wait till 2031 is the oldest trick in the book of political deceit. Abia North will not be blackmailed into political servitude. When, where, and how Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, PhD, CFR chooses to run is his decision, that of his political family and the decision of Ndi Abia who will ultimately decide with their votes.
So the response is simple. Keep your unsolicited advice to youself, Maduako. Keep your fear. And also keep your propaganda. Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu will contest if he chooses to, and when he does, he will win if Abians decide they want bold, visionary leadership with national reach. He will beat Dr. Alex Otti fair and square because Abians have vowed to vote out propaganda and vote in a transparent government. 2027 is not for the faint-hearted. So, get ready.
*James Nwachukwu, an Abian, writes from Umuahia, Abia State Capital.
🚨 BREAKING: Watch the full clip here ➤
