Tension rose in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State as women and youth groups staged a protest against Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, accusing him of neglecting the community and unfairly branding the area during the 2023 general elections.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Enough is enough,” “OUK, leave us alone,” and “Show us your senatorial projects in Ohafia LGA,” demonstrators gathered in large numbers to express dissatisfaction with what they described as a lack of tangible development projects in the area.
The protest follows an earlier declaration by the Ohafia Youth Association (OYA), which reportedly declared the former Abia State governor persona non grata.
The group alleged that during the 2023 Abia North Senatorial election, Kalu referred to Ohafia as an “IPOB zone”—a claim they said contributed to heightened security presence, voter intimidation, and widespread disenfranchisement.
Speaking to journalists at the Zone 9 Police Headquarters in Umuahia, where the group had been invited over a petition filed by the senator alleging cyberbullying, the association’s Public Relations Officer, Chika Nnate, claimed the label discouraged thousands of eligible voters from participating in the election.
“The biggest ward in Abia North, Isiama Ward, did not record a single vote, yet results were announced in places where it favoured him,” Nnate alleged, further claiming that more than 150,000 residents were unable to vote due to security fears.
Beyond electoral grievances, the group accused the senator of failing to execute meaningful constituency projects in Ohafia.
“We do not have a single visible project from Senator Orji Uzor Kalu in the whole of Ohafia—no road up to one kilometre, no empowerment, no meaningful support,” Nnate said.
Following the persona non grata declaration, Kalu petitioned the youth association to the Nigeria Police Force’s Zone 9 Command.
Members of the group honoured invitations to the police headquarters, but tensions reportedly escalated when they returned in larger numbers, accompanied by elderly community members.
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The youths alleged they were teargassed during their latest visit and insisted that any future dialogue must be held in Ohafia rather than in Umuahia.
A scheduled meeting between the senator and youth leaders did not hold, as Kalu was reportedly absent.
In response, Kalu’s camp dismissed the allegations, describing the protest as the action of a narrow interest group rather than a reflection of the broader Abia North constituency.
The camp maintained that the senator’s record of legislative advocacy and constituency engagement remains strong and widely acknowledged.
As tensions persist, community leaders and observers have called for dialogue and de-escalation, urging all parties to pursue peaceful engagement in resolving grievances ahead of the 2027 election cycle.