UMUAHIA, Nigeria — Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has distanced himself from coalition efforts among opposition parties aimed at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, insisting instead on a working alliance between President Tinubu and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
Speaking during a visit to Governor Otti in Umuahia, Kalu — a former governor of Abia State — said he was not aligned with ongoing coalition talks, which have reportedly drawn interest from opposition figures including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
“I’m not into coalition talks… My deal is for Tinubu and Otti to support each other,” Kalu stated.
Governor Otti is the sole state chief executive elected under the Labour Party (LP) banner in the 2023 elections, a position that has made him a central figure in Nigeria’s evolving opposition landscape.
Kalu’s remarks signal a growing divergence within political circles, particularly among those with ties to both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition figures now rallying to form a united front ahead of the next presidential poll.
Addressing his personal ties to El-Rufai, Kalu said, “El-Rufai is my personal friend and brother, so their condition is what I do not understand. What I understand is that APC is on course, and I have many triggers to pull out.”
Kalu declined to elaborate on El-Rufai’s recent defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) or the coalition talks surrounding it, instead stressing his desire for cooperation between the Tinubu-led federal government and the Labour Party-controlled Abia State Government.
“Otti doesn’t have a problem with me. I don’t want to talk of a coalition; I talk about Otti supporting Tinubu and Tinubu supporting Otti. That is my deal,” he said.
Kalu’s comments follow El-Rufai’s high-profile exit from the APC in April.
Speaking in Katsina, the former Kaduna governor accused the Tinubu administration of running the “worst federal government in Nigerian history,” labelling it the most corrupt and intolerant regime since the country’s return to democracy in 1999.
“This is the worst federal government in Nigerian history, and all the indices have shown it,” El-Rufai said at the time.
