The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has assured the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, that he would remain committed to partnering with him to build a brighter future for Abians.
 
Kalu stated this in his birthday message to Otti, who turned 61 on Wednesday, wishing the governor many more years in good health.
 
The Deputy Speaker had on behalf of his family and Bende Federal Constituents, wished Otti a happy birthday anniversary, describing Otti as a “big brother and friend,” commending the governor’s dedication to the growth and development of Abia State.
 
Kalu lauded Otti’s sustained commitment to improving the welfare of Abia residents, stating, however, that his calls for the governor to improve on his efforts to advance the state’s development should not be seen as disregarding the impactful progress the governor already made and is still making.

The lawmaker stated: “My call for more work is to better the lot of our people and does not diminish the efforts already made by the Otti administration.”
 
The Deputy Speaker expressed confidence that the collective resolve of stakeholders would sustain positive transformation across the state, vowing to always commit to partnering with Otti to build a brighter future for Abia.”
 
Recall that Kalu had openly criticised Otti’s achievements in various sectors, describing them as not commensurate with the federal allocations and other state incomes.
 
He had also alleged that Otti did not acknowledge the contributions of the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu to the development of Abia, threatening to stop the governor’s re-election in 2027.
 
He also wooed Otti to the APC from the Labour Party (LP), promising him the leadership of the party in the state. However, Otti vowed to remain in the LP, adding that he would leave the future to decide otherwise.