The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) the apex sociopolitical youth organization in the South East geopolitical zone, has launched a fierce attack on what it described as a coordinated political witch-hunt against Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North Senatorial District at the Red Chamber, accusing powerful interests in Abia State of working hand-in-hand with separatist elements to silence voices of unity.
Addressing journalists on Friday, 23rd January at a heated press conference, COSEYL President General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, declared that the sustained attacks on Senator Kalu are dangerous, divisive, and aimed at destabilizing Abia State and the South East.
According to Ibem, the campaign of propaganda against the Abia North Senator is not accidental but a deliberate plot against leaders who believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria.
“We are watching a disturbing trend where leaders who preach unity are now treated as enemies. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is being targeted because he refuses to bow to separatist pressure,” Ibem said.
The youth group accused Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, of engaging in political games that allegedly align with separatist interests, insisting that recent attacks on Senator Kalu were not born out of genuine political disagreement but were allegedly influenced by groups hostile to Nigeria’s unity.
COSEYL also slammed the recent declaration of Senator Kalu as persona non grata in Ohafia Local Government Area by a group it described as “faceless, reckless, and politically sponsored.” The coalition dismissed the move as empty noise, stressing that Senator Kalu remains a trusted friend and benefactor of the Ohafia people.
Backing this claim, COSEYL Secretary General, Comrade Okey Nwaoru, said the senator’s track record speaks louder than propaganda.
“From roads to empowerment programmes and federal presence, Senator Kalu has delivered tangible dividends of democracy to Abia North. No amount of blackmail can erase that,” Nwaoru stated.
The group warned that Abia State is fast drifting from governance into open political intolerance, where supporters of national unity are hunted while extremists are emboldened.
COSEYL called on Governor Otti to immediately abandon actions capable of heating up the polity and instead focus on governance, peace, and development.
The coalition further demanded urgent action from security agencies, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the leadership and sponsors of the so-called Ohafia Youth Association (OYA), whom it accused of spreading hate, incitement, and division.
In a bold political declaration, COSEYL announced that the people of Ohafia, Arochukwu, Bende, Isikwuato, and Umunneochi Local Government Areas have collectively resolved to return Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to the Senate for another term.
“The re-election of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is sacrosanct. Nobody can stop it,” the group declared.
COSEYL urged the Federal Government to rise decisively against threats to democracy and national unity, warning that silence in the face of separatist intimidation would spell danger for the country.
