Otti explains why he appointed political opponent’s wife into key govt office

The governor, a member of the Labour Party (LP), came under heavy criticism recently when he appointed Mrs Kalu, a member of the All Progressives Congress, as the chairperson of ABSUTH board despite a political rift with her husband and different political affiliations.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has explained that he appointed Chinyere Kalu, the wife of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, as the chairperson of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) Board based on merit.

Mr Otti disclosed this on Saturday during the wedding of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Emeka Ogbonna, in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

The governor, a member of the Labour Party (LP), recently faced heavy criticism after appointing Mrs Kalu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the chairperson of the ABSUTH board despite the political rift with her husband and different political affiliations.

Appointment was merit-based

Speaking during the wedding ceremony, Mr Otti stressed that Mrs Kalu’s appointment was merit-based, aligning with his administration’s policy to appoint qualified individuals into public service.

“Recently, we made an appointment for the chairman of Abia State University Teaching Hospital Board. And somehow, I think I hear some noise left, right, and centre.

“I’m sure the people (criticising the appointment) don’t know that I personally interviewed and had chats with seven people for that role. And the lady (Mrs Kalu) that we chose did not only come first, but the difference between her and the person that came second was so wide,” he said.

The governor continued: “And this happened last year. So, we were waiting for an opportunity to reconstitute the board, given that the chief medical director of the teaching hospital was leaving.

“So, having now reconstituted the board, we believe that it was only proper for us to give the job to the person that came first.”

Mr Otti further explained that appointments of individuals into public service in Abia State are often influenced by what the individuals can offer, not their political affiliations or place of origin.

“We don’t care whether she’s APC or PDP or YPP or whatever. Those are not important. We don’t even care whether she’s from Abia or from Delta or from anywhere. We are interested in what is in her brain.

“We are interested in the contacts that she has. And one of the things that stood her out from the other six was the international contacts she has,” he said of Mrs Kalu.

The governor pointed out that his approach to appointment ensures that the right people are entrusted with responsibilities that impact governance and service delivery.

“So, in Abia here, we are open to anybody. Just come with what is inside your brain. We don’t want to know where you come from. We don’t want to know your political affiliation.

“When the time comes for voting, you can go and vote for whoever you want to vote for. But here, we want results. We want performance,” he added.

Background

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Kalu, has been a fierce critic of Governor Otti’s administration.

The federal lawmaker has repeatedly vowed that the APC would produce a governor in Abia in 2027 to unseat the LP’s Mr Otti.

Both politicians have also been in a war of words recently.

In his statement in October 2025 for instance, Mr Kalu, who represents Abia’s Bende Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, accused Mr Otti of underperforming despite what he described as increased revenue inflows in the state.

The deputy speaker, a member of the APC, claimed Abia State received an average of N38 billion monthly in the second quarter of 2025 from both the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

But Mr Otti, a member of the LP, rejected the claim and argued that Abia’s monthly revenues from FAAC were in the region of N15 billion within that period.