Speaking on Thursday at his country home in Igbere, Kalu lamented that he once considered Otti his friend and never spoke against him, but was angered by a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Njoku Okaoha, which criticised him over comments that he would support President Bola Tinubu and deliver Abia State to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kalu insisted that his decision to work for the APC should not attract attacks, describing the criticism as unacceptable and accused the governor’s media team of provoking the rift between them.
He said, “I have not for once criticised the state government. For two years, I considered the governor my friend and never spoke against him.
“But three days ago, I saw where the governor’s press secretary issued a statement against me. There is no governor who can deny that whatever his press secretary says reflects his position.
“They fired the first salvo, and I replied by saying that since I am APC, I will work for APC to win. We worked for him to win in 2023, but we are not going to do that again.
“We will work for our party. What is wrong with that? Is that why I should receive insults? I will work for my party.”
The senator also dismissed claims of Otti’s outstanding performance in office, arguing that the governor had not initiated major infrastructure projects but was only rehabilitating roads constructed during his own tenure as governor.
“I don’t know about outstanding performance. What I did in two years as governor is there for everyone to see.
“The money Alex Otti received in four months is what I received in eight years. So, what has he done? He is just repairing and rebuilding the roads I built between 1999 and 2007. I have not seen any new major road,” Kalu added.
He further accused the governor of neglecting rural communities, saying, “As a senator, the roads I am doing in communities are brand-new farmland roads. I have not seen him enter farmland roads. In two years, I had already done what people never believed was possible in Abia State.”
Kalu recalled that during his administration, education and healthcare were free, adding that his achievements earned him praise from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who reportedly described him as an “action governor.”
He concluded by downplaying social media praise of the current administration, saying governance was not driven by online narratives.
“I don’t know all the noise on social media. This business is not done on social media; it is done at the right time by the people you are seeing here,” he said.