African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate Kalu Kalu has challenged Abia State Governor Alex Otti to identify one state government project executed in Ohafia Local Government Area, saying he would withdraw from the 2027 governorship race if such a project is presented.
Kalu, who is from Ohafia, made the challenge during an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Friday, October 2, 2026, while questioning the distribution of government projects and resources across Abia State.
Key Highlights
- Kalu Kalu challenges Governor Alex Otti over projects in Ohafia.
- The ADC candidate says he will quit the 2027 governorship race if one state government project is identified in Ohafia.
- Kalu claims Ohafia has received more than N16 billion in allocations over the past three and a half years.
- He also alleged that parts of Ohafia have gone nearly 10 years without electricity.
- Abia State Government records show that the Otti administration commissioned the Abiriba-Ohafia Highway in May 2026.
- The specific claim that there has been no state government project in Ohafia remains disputed.
- The controversy comes ahead of the 2027 Abia governorship election.
Kalu Kalu Challenges Otti Over Ohafia Projects
Kalu said during the television interview that he was prepared to stake his 2027 governorship ambition on his claim that residents of Ohafia had not benefited from a visible state government project under the current administration.
He challenged Otti and his representatives to identify a project executed specifically for the people of Ohafia Local Government Area.
Kalu said if such a project could be identified and verified, he would withdraw from the governorship contest.
“If your station will go to Ohafia Local Government and show one single project Alex Otti has done for the people of Ohafia Local Government, I will drop my gubernatorial ambition,” Kalu said.
Kalu Claims Ohafia Received Over N16 Billion
The ADC candidate also claimed that Ohafia Local Government Area had received more than N16 billion in allocations over the past three and a half years.
He argued that the amount should have translated into visible development projects in the area.
Kalu urged Arise TV to independently visit Ohafia and assess the state government’s projects in the local government.
The allocation figure and Kalu’s assessment of the projects remain claims made by the ADC candidate and have not been independently established by the reports reviewed for this story.
Kalu Raises Electricity Concerns
Kalu also claimed that Ohafia had experienced a prolonged lack of electricity.
According to him, the local government had gone close to 10 years without electricity anywhere in the area.
The claim was made in the context of his broader criticism of infrastructure and development in Ohafia.
Abia Government Records Show Projects in Ohafia Area
Available records from the Abia State Government present a different picture on the question of infrastructure in the wider Ohafia area.
In May 2026, Governor Otti commissioned the 22.5-kilometre reconstructed Abiriba-Ohafia Highway, which the state government said was renamed the Chief Otisi Kalu (Abbot) Road. The project was commissioned during activities marking the governor’s third year in office.
The official Ohafia Local Government project portal also lists several projects within Ohafia, including a retrofitted health centre in Abiriba, solar-powered borehole projects in Isiugwu Ohafia and Ozua Amogudu, and a solar-powered water reticulation project in Nkporo.
However, the existence of projects in the Ohafia area does not by itself settle Kalu’s specific challenge, which concerns projects he says were executed directly by the Otti-led state government for Ohafia Local Government.
2027 Abia Governorship Race
Kalu’s comments come as political activity increases ahead of the 2027 Abia State governorship election.
The ADC candidate used the interview to discuss what he described as the challenges facing young people in Abia and Nigeria.
He said many young Nigerians increasingly look outside the country for better opportunities and argued that government should create conditions that allow young people to build careers and businesses at home.
Kalu said that, if elected governor in 2027, his administration would focus on creating opportunities for young people within Abia State.
Otti Yet to Respond to Kalu’s Challenge
The reports reviewed did not include a response from Governor Alex Otti or the Abia State Government specifically addressing Kalu’s challenge over the alleged absence of projects in Ohafia.
The Abia State Government has, however, publicly documented infrastructure projects in the Ohafia area, including the Abiriba-Ohafia Highway.
The competing claims over infrastructure delivery are likely to remain part of the political debate as Abia moves towards the 2027 governorship election. For more updates, follow us on X.
