2027: Ignore APC At Your Peril, Governor Otti’s Supporter Warns Ruling Labour Party
A prominent supporter of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has cautioned the ruling Labour Party in the state against underestimating the opposition All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The supporter, Mbaukwu Ihedigbo, in a post on his Facebook page titled “Why the Ruling Party in Abia State Must Take the Opposition APC Seriously,” said the current administration must avoid complacency and begin early political preparations.
Drawing from his experience as a financial expert, Ihedigbo warned against what he described as “overconfidence bias”, a concept he said could affect political judgement.
“One of the things I learned as a financial expert is the concept of overconfidence bias. This is one of the biases that affects investment decisions among investors,” he said.
He noted that Abia politics had long revolved around powerful figures, but the 2023 election altered that pattern as voters became dissatisfied with the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party and were influenced by the political momentum of Peter Obi.
“Politics in Abia State has always been a game of ‘Where is our Oga?’ Apart from the last election, when Abians became tired of the PDP and their lacklustre administration, coupled with the Obi wave,” he said.
According to him, members of the APC in Abia have in recent months been regrouping and strengthening their internal alliances.
“Over the past few months, Abia State APC members have been regrouping and forming a bond that appears covalent in nature,” he said.
He warned that dismissing the opposition’s renewed efforts would be a mistake.
“One of the greatest mistakes this present administration could make is to ignore this APC reunion with a wave of the hand. The political alignment and realignment among them must be carefully and strategically studied,” he stated.
Ihedigbo further cautioned against relying solely on the advantage of incumbency.
“We must not depend solely on the power of incumbency or on the street belief that we can win anytime and any day,” he said.
He described many of the APC figures as experienced political actors with loyal supporters and significant resources.
“These guys in the APC are battle-tested. They understand the game. They have millions of loyalists and die-hard supporters who believe in them. They also have the resources,” he added.
The political observer cited possible alliances involving key political figures such as Benjamin Kalu and Orji Uzor Kalu in the Old Bende axis, warning that such cooperation could reshape the political balance in that region.
“Let us take, for instance, if the likes of Ben Kalu unite strongly with OUK and other political heavyweights in Old Bende, they could pull off a serious surprise in that region,” he said.
He also pointed to political developments in Umuahia, Osisioma and Obingwa, noting that the opposition still maintains visible structures and grassroots influence in several parts of the state.
“If all of them come together in unity, we will definitely have a serious contest and trust me, the battle will be fierce,” he said.
Despite the warning, Ihedigbo maintained confidence in Governor Otti’s chances in the next election.
