Reopening Kalu’s Case Political, Meant To Weaken Igbo Bloc – Ohanaeze

Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has raised the alarm over what it described as a politically motivated attempt to destabilise the Southeast ahead of the 2027 general elections through the renewed prosecution of former Abia State Governor and serving Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu.

Reacting to the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) permission to reopen Kalu’s N7.1bn fraud case, Ohanaeze alleged that the move was part of a calculated plot to weaken the Igbo political bloc in the National Assembly.

In a strongly worded statement, the group’s deputy president-general, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, described the EFCC’s action as “a veiled attempt to displace Senator Kalu from the Senate and possibly imprison him before the 2027 elections.”

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is deeply concerned by the pattern of selective prosecution that appears targeted at Igbo leaders, especially in the lead-up to major elections,” the statement read. “We categorically support the fight against corruption, but we will not fold our arms while anti-graft agencies are used as political weapons to silence our voices.”

The group questioned why other former governors across the country, some with even more damning corruption allegations, are not facing similar scrutiny.

“Why is it that former governors from Kano, Ogun, Sokoto, and other regions are not subjected to the same level of investigation or prosecution? This is not justice — it is ethnic profiling in disguise,” Isiguzoro said.

Ohanaeze maintained that Senator Kalu remains one of the few vocal and effective representatives of the Southeast in the Senate, noting that his removal would be a strategic blow to Igbo interests at the federal level.

The group also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that continued persecution of Igbo politicians could affect the region’s support for his administration going forward.

“Let it be known: support for Tinubu beyond 2027 cannot be guaranteed if this trend continues. We demand fairness, equity, and respect for the Southeast,” the statement added.