Former Chief of Staff and 2023 Abia governorship candidate, Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu, insists that physical infrastructure alone cannot uplift a community without addressing people’s basic welfare. Speaking to journalists in Umuahia after announcing his 2027 governorship bid under the All Progressives Congress, Kalu pledged a government that balances the building of roads and essential infrastructure with what he calls “building the stomach” ensuring no citizen goes hungry or neglected.
Kalu criticized the current administration, led by Governor Alex Otti, for neglecting civil servants, pensioners, and traders, accusing it of lacking empathy and failing to deliver on its campaign promises despite being in office for over two years. He emphasized that his approach to leadership will prioritize transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, promising a government that serves all Abians.
Though Kalu gave the Otti administration some leeway initially, he now believes it has fallen short of expectations, especially in implementing local government autonomy, which he says has rendered local councils powerless as the state controls their funds. Kalu also committed to unifying the APC to build a stronger party in Abia and expressed his vision for a prosperous and inclusive state that benefits from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope policies, aiming to bring good governance and economic empowerment to the grassroots.
Reflecting on his political journey, Kalu described his mission as one driven not by politics as usual but by a desire to serve with empathy and vigor, confident in his understanding of what Abia truly needs.
