Tension flared at the Police Zone 9 Headquarters in Umuahia as youths and women from Ohafia staged a protest, insisting that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu will not receive their votes in the 2027 general elections.
The demonstrators reportedly refused to back down even after security operatives dispersed them with teargas. They maintained their stance that the Abia North lawmaker is no longer welcome politically in their community.
The protest follows an earlier declaration by the Ohafia Youth Association (OYA), which reportedly declared the senator persona non grata over allegations that he described Ohafia as an “IPOB zone” during the 2023 Abia North senatorial election.
After the declaration, Senator Kalu was said to have petitioned the association to the Zone 9 Command. Members of the group initially appeared at the police headquarters in response to an invitation regarding the petition.
However, tensions escalated when they returned in larger numbers, accompanied by elderly men and women, reiterating that their position remains unchanged.
According to the protesters, the alleged comment made during the 2023 election was deeply offensive and politically harmful to the community. They argued that having allegedly labelled Ohafia an “IPOB zone,” the senator lacks the moral standing to seek their support in the 2027 elections.
A meeting reportedly planned between the senator and youth leaders did not hold, as the lawmaker was said to be absent from the venue.
Police authorities advised the protesters to return to Ohafia, assuring them that a new date would be scheduled for further engagement. However, the youths insisted they had already honoured two invitations to the police command and would not return again, particularly after claiming they were teargased during their latest visit.
They said they remain open to dialogue but only if any future meeting is held in Ohafia rather than in Umuahia.
The development has sparked discussions across Abia North, with political observers suggesting it could influence early political alignments and narratives ahead of the 2027 elections.
