The member representing Umuahia North State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Akaliro Kelechi Anderson, has officially defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Labour Party (LP), dealing another blow to the already fractured opposition party in the state.
In his resignation letter addressed to the APC chairman of Umuahia North LGA, Hon. Akaliro blamed his decision on deep-seated internal crises, factionalisation, and what he described as the collapse of cohesive leadership structures within the APC in Abia State.
LEADERSHIP reports that the lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on Public Petitions and Judiciary, was the only elected APC member in the State Assembly during the 2023 general election. He lamented that despite his mandate, the party’s leadership had sidelined him.
According to him, “Since my inauguration, the APC in Abia has never extended an invitation to me, formal or informal, for any meeting or activity, thereby undermining my relevance and mandate.”
Hon. Akaliro also criticised the frequent suspension and counter-suspension of party officials across wards and local government areas in the State, describing it as “a sign of irreversible disunity.”
After what he called due consultations with his constituents and political allies, the lawmaker said he decided to align with Governor Alex Otti’s Labour Party-led administration, which he praised as “visionary and development-oriented.”
Addressing journalists after his resignation from APC, Hon. Akaliro, popularly known as “The man with excess grace,” declared his loyalty to the governor’s leadership.
He said, “Today, I’ve seen the light. Before now, I’ve been watching the man called His Excellency Dr. Alex Choma-Otti to know where he’s coming from and where he’s headed. So today I’ve decided to join His Excellency Dr. Alex Choma-Otti in the Labour Party because I’ve looked at the things he has done so far for the good of our state.
“Abia is number one in virtually everything, catching him across the nooks and crannies of the state. I am proud to say, truly, I’m an Abian. Judging from his antecedents and what he has done, I had thought he was just a banker, but I never knew that he was a seasoned administrator.
“He came prepared for the job. And today, I’m really, really happy. And my constituents are excited that I’ve decided to join the moving train. I know he’s taking us to the proper destination, and Abia has always rejoiced. Abia will be happy with him, and Abia will continue to be happy with him.”
Highlighting Governor Otti’s strides in governance, Hon. Akaliro commended his administration’s achievements across education, infrastructure, and social development.
“In the education sector, infrastructure development, bro, just name it: housing, smart schools, he has built cutting across the length and breadth of Abia State. Even the blind could see that, truly, this man came prepared for the work, and he’s doing it seamlessly,” he said.
He added that being in opposition had become “very difficult” because Governor Otti was consistently delivering on his promises.
“He made my job as a former opposition person very, very difficult because I had no need to criticise him. Even when the thought comes up for me, in the next moment, he’s doing it. So he’s making it very, very difficult for me. I had no other choice but to join him because I know he’s the right man for this job. No other, I repeat, no other person can do better.”
Declaring his new political identity, Hon. Akaliro said, “I’m officially declaring, and I want to be known as Honourable Barrister Anderson Kelechi Akaliro, the man with excess grace, representing the good people of Umuahia North State Constituency as a member of the Labour Party.”
Hon. Akaliro’s defection further weakens the APC’s foothold in Abia State, while boosting the growing influence of Governor Otti’s Labour Party.
