The All Progressives Congress in Abia State has been thrown into a fresh crisis following the endorsement of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, as the party’s consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The endorsement, made on Sunday at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, has triggered sharp divisions within the party, with a rival aspirant, Mascot Uzor Kalu, rejecting the move and warning against any attempt to impose a candidate.
The stakeholders’ meeting, which drew participants from the three senatorial zones and all 17 local government areas of the state, saw party leaders urging Benjamin Kalu to declare his intention to run, arguing that the party needed a candidate capable of winning the election.
Speaking at the meeting, the South East representative at the Federal Capital Civil Service, Martins Azubuike, described the gathering as a move to consolidate the gains of the recent party congress.
“The meeting is geared towards consolidating the gains of the last party congress. We are here to take voices from Abians through the delegation of 17 LGAs as representatives of the wards, leveraging the RHP and by extension the party in the party,” Azubuike said.
Other party leaders echoed similar sentiments, expressing confidence that Benjamin Kalu, as the highest-ranking APC elected official from Abia State, possessed the political structure and goodwill to wrest power from the ruling Labour Party in the state.
Responding to the endorsement, Benjamin Kalu thanked the stakeholders but stopped short of declaring his candidacy, stating that he would make his decision known in the coming weeks.
“My response is going to be made available in a few weeks. I want to thank you for finding me worthy of this position. So in the coming weeks, prepare yourself. I am aware that when that response comes, you will be happy,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker added that the party was preparing to win the 2027 election in the state and would play effective opposition politics ahead of the poll.
Mascot Kalu Rejects Endorsement
However, the endorsement was swiftly condemned by Mascot Uzor Kalu, another prominent governorship aspirant within the party, who accused stakeholders of orchestrating a plan to impose a preferred aspirant without the involvement of other contenders.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Mascot Kalu warned that any such move would be met with stiff resistance.
“Let it be stated clearly and without ambiguity: any premeditated consensus arrangement orchestrated by the APC State Working Committee and stakeholders, without the participation of all aspirants contesting for the same position, is illegitimate, unacceptable, and null and void ab initio,” he said.
“Such an imposition will be met with stiff and unequivocal resistance,” he added.
The development has effectively split the Abia APC into at least two factions — one rallying behind Benjamin Kalu and another loyal to Mascot Kalu. Political observers note that the crisis could weaken the party’s chances of presenting a united front against incumbent Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party in 2027.
The Abia APC has struggled to maintain cohesion since the 2023 general elections, when the party lost the governorship to Otti, a former APC member who defected to the Labour Party. Internal disputes over leadership and candidate selection have since plagued the party’s efforts to rebuild.
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