Why Ohafia youths are resisting Senator Orji Uzor Kalu over the IPOB label allegedly placed on the community during the 2023 election. Click to read full details.
Tensions are escalating in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State as youths under the umbrella of the Ohafia Youth Association (OYA) have openly declared that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North Senatorial District, remains persona non grata in the community ahead of the 2027 general election.
The youths accused the former Abia State governor of branding Ohafia as an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) zone during the 2023 general election, a label they insist led to widespread voter disenfranchisement and long-lasting political damage to the area.
Speaking on behalf of the association, OYA leaders Obasi Kalu Obasi (Chairman) and Onyekachi Uduma (Secretary) insisted that Senator Kalu should not be allowed to camp, campaign, or mobilise politically in Ohafia as preparations for 2027 begin.
The controversy resurfaced on Wednesday in Umuahia, when representatives of the Ohafia Youth Association stormed the Zone 9 Police Headquarters in solidarity with their leaders, following a cyberbullying petition reportedly filed against them by Senator Kalu.
Addressing journalists, the group’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chika Nnate, said the youths honoured the police invitation to defend their stance and to restate their grievances against the senator.
According to Nnate, the IPOB label allegedly placed on Ohafia by Senator Kalu in 2023 created fear, heavy security presence, and voter suppression, effectively denying tens of thousands of eligible voters their constitutional right to vote.
He claimed that over 150,000 registered voters across Ohafia were unable to cast their ballots during the election, adding that Isiama Ward, described as the largest ward in Abia North, recorded zero votes on election day.
The youths further alleged that despite the electoral setback suffered by the community, results were later announced in areas that favoured the senator, a development they described as deeply unfair and provocative.
Angered by what they described as political betrayal, the Ohafia youths questioned why Senator Kalu is now seeking acceptance in the same community he allegedly stigmatized.
They accused the senator of political neglect, insisting that Ohafia has no visible senatorial projects, no youth empowerment programmes, no meaningful road construction, and no economic intervention traceable to his tenure.
According to the association, the only items allegedly distributed in the area were wheelbarrows, which they described as symbolic and insulting to the developmental needs of the community.
As a result, the youths say a collective decision has been taken across Ohafia to resist Senator Kalu’s presence and political activities in the area ahead of 2027.
During the protest, members of the association displayed placards with bold inscriptions such as:
“OUK Leave Us Alone,”
“Enough Is Enough, Ohafia Stands United,”
“OUK Stay Away From Ohafia,”
“Show Us Your Senatorial Projects In Ohafia,” and
“Divide And Rule Tactics Have Ended.”
The development signals a growing political storm in Abia North, with Ohafia youths vowing to defend their community’s political dignity and voting rights, even as the countdown to the 2027 elections begins.
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