The Labour Party (LP) has issued a strong warning to the Senator representing Abia North, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, stating that his recent threats of violence and verbal attacks on Governor Alex Otti will not go unpunished.
The party has also threatened to “reopen” the financial records of Kalu’s tenure as Governor if he continues his “campaign of calumny.”
In a press release signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Chidiebere Okoro, on Tuesday, the Labour Party described Senator Kalu’s recent utterances as “angry, reckless, and full of lies,” accusing him of panicking over the likelihood of losing the next election.
The party was reacting to comments made by the former Governor during a political gathering where he allegedly threatened violence against “innocent Abians” and made “uncomplimentary comments” against Governor Otti and his administration.
The Labour Party statement launched a scathing personal attack on Senator Kalu, reminding the public of his past legal troubles.
“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,” Okoro stated.
The party drew a direct line between Kalu’s current political rhetoric and his 2019 conviction for fraud.
“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,” the statement read.
In a striking comparison, the Labour Party calculated the present-day equivalent of the funds Kalu was convicted of stealing.
“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.”
The party concluded that as an “ex-convict with massive baggage,” Kalu is “unfit to be involved in governance, let alone threaten anyone.”
The Labour Party dismissed Kalu’s recent speeches as the rantings of a desperate politician. “Kalu’s utterances during his speech gave him in as a man in panic. He sounded very angry, threatened, troubled and traumatised,” Okoro wrote.
The party accused the Senator of lying about his record in office, specifically regarding infrastructure projects. The statement challenged Kalu to prove his claims of building roads like the Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Abiriba-Ohafia road and the Ohafia-Arochukwu road, which the LP claims were abandoned death traps during his tenure.
The party also rebutted Kalu’s claims regarding Abia State University (ABSU) fees. “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?” the statement queried.
The Labour Party asserted that Kalu’s threats stem from his unfamiliarity with free and fair elections. “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.”
The party concluded with a firm warning that the political climate in Abia has changed. “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.”
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