Ahead of the 2027 general election, there’s rising political tension in Abia State, with some opposition leaders in the State hell-bent on stopping Governor Alex Otti’s re-election.

The opposition figures, many of whom previously held power in the state, have threatened that Otti will not be reelected for a second term as governor in 2027.

These figures have also been holding political meetings and issuing public statements against Otti’s administration.
Two former Governors of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, alongside other former political leaders, said they have allied to unseat Governor Otti in the 2027 general election.

According to them, they intend to win all elective positions in Abia for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The duo met in Umuahia and resolved to forge a common front they christened, ‘The Team,’ a platform for their political battle against Otti and other anti-APC interests.

In addition, the group signalled that it will institute a legal action against Otti for allegedly running Abia from his Nvosi country home instead of the Government House, Umuahia.

Kalu described the assembly as a platform for experienced leaders who want to reclaim their relevance in the state’s political landscape.

The Abia North senator rejected narratives portraying previous governments as ineffective, insisting that their legacies live on.

The former Abia governor said, “Leadership is a relay. I handed over to Senator T.A. Orji, who handed over to Okezie Ikpeazu. No single individual can claim we achieved nothing. If we did nothing, where would our people be today?”

Otti hasn’t done better, he’s repainting roads – Kalu

While addressing journalists recently, Senator Kalu accused Governor Otti of not doing much with the allocation the state is getting from the federal government.

He claimed that the governor was only repainting roads he (Kalu) built during his time as the state governor.

Kalu said he won’t work for Ottis’ reelection in 2027 even though he delivered for Otti in the last gubernatorial election in 2023.

He said: “I consider the Governor as my friend. And two years, I’ve never criticized. I never said anything, and they shot the first salvo. I replied by telling them that I will work for APC to win.

“We worked for him to win 2023. We are not going to do that again. What is wrong with that? Is that why I should receive insults? It is not acceptable to me. I’m going to work for my party.

“If he has done better, I don’t know about that, because you can see that what I did in two years as a governor, the records are there for you to see. The money Otti receives in four months is what I received in eight years. That is the truth.

“He is just repainting and rebuilding the roads I built as a governor from 1999 to 2007. I’ve not seen any new major roads taking place.

“I’m in the Senate, and all the roads I’m doing in communities are brand new farmland roads.”

Nigerian megastar Wizkid has become the first African artist to exceed 10 billion streams on Spotify across all credits. This milestone, confirmed by industry trackers, cements his status as a trailblazer who has propelled African music onto the international stage.

Born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, his journey from rising star to the face of Afrobeats and subsequently global stardom is a testament to his innovative sound, strategic collaborations, constant evolution, and massive fanbase.

This record-breaking feat arrives amid a surge in Afrobeats’ popularity, with Wizkid at the forefront. As of early January 2026, Wizkid boasts more than 13 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His catalogue continues to resonate with fans worldwide, blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary R&B, dancehall, and pop elements.

His streams have been bolstered by a mix of solo hits, features, and albums that have amassed billions of plays.

Wizkid’s ascent to this Spotify pinnacle began in the early 2010s with his debut album Superstar (2011), which introduced infectious tracks like “Holla at Your Boy” and “Don’t Dull,” establishing him as the next big thing.

However, it was his 2014 single “Ojuelegba” that truly marked a turning point, not just for his career but for the entire Afrobeats movement. “Ojuelegba” captured the raw hustle of urban life in Nigeria, blending heartfelt lyrics with infectious rhythms. It became an anthem for dreamers, hustlers, and underdogs across Africa. With over 100 million streams on Spotify, “Ojuelegba” was the first Afrobeats track to attract major mainstream artists for a remix, featuring Drake and Skepta in 2015, which unlocked unprecedented international awareness and critical acclaim for the genre.

This remix propelled Afrobeats into global conversations and is rightfully considered one of the greatest Afrobeats songs of all time.

The controversy surrounding the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, has escalated following a detailed rebuttal to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital’s recent statement.

In a press release issued in response to Euracare’s statement dated Saturday, 10 January 2026, the child’s aunt, Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, accused the hospital of presenting inconsistencies and false claims regarding the circumstances of her nephew’s death at its facility.

Dr Nwandu, a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States, challenged Euracare’s assertion that the family’s account contained inaccuracies.

“In their press statement, Euracare claims that there are inaccuracies in the account of how my nephew passed. Which inaccuracies exactly?” she asked.

In her response, Dr Nwandu addressed several claims made by the hospital, contrasting them with what she described as “the documented truth of the situation.”

She disputed Euracare’s claim that the child had received care at two paediatric centres before arriving at the hospital. According to her, “This is false. He was in one hospital before coming to Euracare for the procedures.”

Euracare had also stated that it provided care “in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards,” a claim Dr Nwandu firmly rejected. She outlined what she said were multiple deviations from internationally accepted standards of care.

“International standards demand that a child on oxygen who is given sedation must have continuous oxygen therapy. Did Euracare do this? No! They confirmed this verbally to me when I went to the hospital to question the doctors,” she said. “International standards demand that the child should have had continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in his blood. Did Euracare do this? No.”

According to Dr Nwandu, additional lapses included the lack of continuous monitoring of the child’s pulse and respiration, as well as the failure to ensure the presence of resuscitative equipment during internal transfers within the hospital.

International standards demand continuous monitoring of pulse and respiration. Did Euracare do this? No,” she stated.

She also questioned the reliability of medical documentation under the circumstances described. “Since there was no monitoring, is it possible to accurately document when the child stopped breathing or for how long he was pulseless before he was resuscitated? No.”

Dr Nwandu further criticised the manner in which the child was handled following sedation. “Is it international standard for an anesthesiologist to carry a child post-sedation on his shoulder, unable to visually see the child, with absolutely no monitoring, while insisting that he alone would be in the elevator with the child? No,” she said.

She also alleged that the child’s oxygen supply was disconnected during his transfer to the intensive care unit. “To transfer the child to the ICU, the anesthesiologist disconnected his oxygen and again carried him on his shoulder. Is that standard practice? No.”

In the press release, Dr Nwandu maintained that her nephew was medically stable at the time of the incident and had already been scheduled for an evacuation flight to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Euracare has stated that it is reviewing the matter amid ongoing public scrutiny of the hospital’s handling of the case.