Gov Otti bombs Senator Orji Kalu, other opposition figures, describes their criticisms as noise from empty barrels

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has struck a defiant tone in the face of mounting political pressure from opposition figures, dismissing their criticisms as little more than “noise” from empty barrels and urging residents not to be distracted from his development agenda.

 

The governor’s remarks came during the dedication of a newly renovated Seventh-day Adventist Church building in Umuoriehi, Umuahia North Local Government Area on Saturday, where he was joined by church leaders and local residents.

 

Reacting to recent barbs and public declarations by former governor and Abia North Senator Orji Uzor Kalu — who has vowed to use his influence to deliver Abia State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections — Otti told supporters that such opposition was not worthy of serious attention.

 

“I want us to just dismiss it as noise, you know, and it’s always the empty barrel that makes the loudest noise,” Otti said, repeating a familiar adage to underline his point that those speaking the loudest often matter least.

 

Quoting scripture to add moral weight to his argument, the governor cited Isaiah 54:15, warning critics against speaking without divine authority and urging Abians not to be thrown off course by what he described as petty political distractions.

 

Otti insisted that his administration would remain committed to industrial, infrastructural and socio-economic transformation in the state, rejecting claims that his government had underperformed or regressed. “In everything, they will not talk about you, the Abia people. They are talking about themselves,” he said, describing the dissenting voices as a “tiny minority.”

 

The governor also reiterated his belief that God had not abandoned Abia’s development trajectory, asserting that “God doesn’t make mistakes, and he doesn’t have an unfinished project.”

 

Political watchers say Otti’s deployment of the “empty barrel” metaphor is a clear attempt to reframe the narrative, portraying his critics — including Kalu and other former governors — as politically loud but lacking substantive merit.

 

As the 2027 election cycle draws nearer, Otti’s remarks signal not only his growing confidence but a strategy of moral and political high ground, positioning his government’s achievements against what he frames as the hollow rhetoric of past leaders.