Abia Government accuses Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu of betrayal, arrogance

The Abia State Government has accused the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, of engaging in acts of betrayal, deceit, and arrogance, describing his conduct as unbecoming of a leader.

In a statement signed on Monday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, the government said it had become necessary to address what it described as Kalu’s “growing pattern of deceit, betrayal, and arrogance,” which, according to it, raises questions about his moral integrity and suitability for leadership.

It alleged that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State and current Senator representing Abia North, played a major role in Benjamin Kalu’s rise to prominence by mentoring, financing, and supporting him politically. It claimed that Senator Kalu, out of goodwill, gave Kalu 25 per cent of his shares in Bende Export Limited, but that the investment was mismanaged.

According to the statement, despite past disappointments, Senator Orji Kalu continued to support Benjamin Kalu’s political ambitions, including his election to the House of Representatives, only for the Deputy Speaker to allegedly turn against him afterward.

The government further accused the Deputy Speaker of “maligning Senator Kalu before President Bola Tinubu,” describing such actions as evidence of disloyalty and lack of integrity.

Ekeoma noted that Governor Alex Otti, who was Senator Kalu’s banker at the time, is aware of the transactions that, according to the statement, demonstrated how the former governor empowered Kalu both financially and politically.

“The Abia State Government wishes to remind the public that leadership demands humility, loyalty, and integrity—qualities Benjamin Kalu lacks,” the statement read. “His arrogance and unbridled pride have become his trademark, making him unfit to represent the collective interests of the Abia people.”

The statement added that the government remains committed to transparency and good governance, and would not be distracted by what it described as “individuals whose political survival depends on lies, betrayal, and deceit.”