Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, has refuted the accusation that he is desperate to win the governorship of Abia State in 2027, emphasizing that the people of the state and his party, the All Progressives Party (APC), will decide his future political move.
He emphasizes that serving the residents of Bende Federal Constituency is his current goal and that becoming governor is not the ultimate goal for people like him.
Speaking to reporters on Friday at his rural home, Kalu insisted that 2026 is still too early for political changes, emphasizing that his main concern is still providing his constituents with high-quality democratic dividends rather than the position he will hold in 2027.
“We are still in 2026. I have not yet disclosed my plans for the 2027 battle. “I will take a stance when the time is right and whatever my people and my party say I should contest,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives stated that his invitation to Governor Alex Otti to join the APC was motivated by friendship and the APC’s interest.
“The narrative that I want to block him from coming to APC is not true,” he added, using the occasion to refute the rumor that he, Kalu, is preventing the governor from joining the APC.
“I would invite him to APC if I were self-centered, but that is not the case here. Theodore Orji, a former governor of Abia State, has joined the APC thanks to our ongoing party recruitment campaign.
“I had previously extended an invitation to the governor to join APC, but that was in the past. He currently knows what is best for him. I will no longer be making that call,” Kalu continued.
He clarified that in accordance with the party’s national policy, he was willing to let any current governor who joined the APC assume control of the state’s party organization.
It goes without saying that the APC will present a candidate for governor of Abia State. That’s the way party politics operate,” he stated.
Even though he reaffirmed his support for the construction of one more state for the South East to allow the zone to be on par with other federation zones, he claims that he is highly interested in bringing development to the Bende Federal constituency.
He argued that the establishment of a second state in the South East would improve the nation’s unity, cohesiveness, and advancement. The House of Representatives’ Deputy Speaker took use of the occasion to refute claims that part of the ongoing roads he brought to Bende had been abandoned.
Speaking on his leadership, Kalu reiterated his dedication to effectively representing the Bende Federal area. He stated that more than 20 road improvements have been finished in the area and that several more are still in progress.
Kalu claimed to have raised ₦10 billion for the restoration of the Umuahia-Bende-Ohafia-Arochukwu Road.
“The road is part of the agreement between the Federal Government and the Abia State government for reconstruction,” he stated, citing information from the Minister of Works. Nevertheless, the N10B that we were able to secure for the same road was subsequently diverted to building new roads in Bende.
He voiced alarm about the condition of the road, saying that it is shameful that such an important route would be in such bad shape.
The Deputy Speaker denied charges that the Ohumola Civic Center in Igbere has been abandoned in response to accusations that he has abandoned some of the projects he has brought to Bende.
“The Bende Federal Constituency does not have any abandoned projects.” Every project is still underway. Someone began disseminating false information at a failed 20-meter stretch of the 5.8-kilometer Bende-Ozuitem Road. According to him, such is not government.
In response to concerns over the Electoral Act, Kalu denied that the House of Representatives was intentionally delaying the process, saying that the House is waiting on the Senate to take concurrent legislative action.
Regarding financial autonomy for local governments, Kalu reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pledge to make sure states and local government councils follow the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“Any decisions made by the constitutional court must be followed. I think governors will follow through when the time is right. State governors would be able to focus on more ambitious development initiatives if local governments used funding effectively, he continued.
Kalu clarified that his peace initiative in the South East would soon pay off. He claims that the program has been successfully and covertly interacting with agitated groups.
You will concur that the South-East is now more tranquil than it formerly was. He said, “That is not by accident.”
