Eshioromeh Sebastian
Sir Mascot Uzor Kalu, a frontline governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, has voluntarily withdrawn from the race for the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His withdrawal, announced in a press statement on Wednesday, came just a day before the scheduled APC governorship primary.
Kalu, the younger brother of Senate Chief Whip and former Abia Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, cited two major reasons for his decision. First, he noted that his brother had already clinched the party’s senatorial ticket, and stepping aside would allow other aspirants a fair chance at the governorship contest.
Second, after consultations with stakeholders, he said the group concluded that Abia Central Senatorial District should be allowed to complete its eight-year power rotation, which it has already commenced.
“I extend my special appreciation to my wife and children, who have stood by me throughout these months since my declaration,” Kalu said in the statement. He also thanked his mother, his brothers Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Hon. Nnanna Uzor Kalu, as well as members of his campaign organisation.
Kalu’s withdrawal marks the end of a governorship ambition that had, over the past several months, generated significant controversy and internal strife within the Abia APC.
He first declared his intention to contest the governorship in October 2025, shortly after returning to the APC from the Action Peoples Party (APP), on whose platform he had contested the 2023 governorship election.
At the time, he had criticised Governor Alex Otti’s administration, alleging that the Labour Party governor was not fulfilling his campaign promises
In April 2026, Kalu demonstrated his commitment by purchasing the party’s N50 million Expression of Interest and Nomination Form, becoming the first aspirant to do so . A cleric, Bishop Silas Eke, had even described Kalu as the APC’s “best bet” for the election, citing his blend of youth, experience, and administrative exposure as a former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Theodore Orji .
The zoning firestorm
The major turning point came on April 30, 2026, when the Abia APC State Working Committee announced that the party had zoned its governorship ticket to Abia Central Senatorial District, where incumbent Governor Alex Otti hails from.
The party cited equity, justice, fair play, and balanced representation across the state’s three senatorial zones as reasons for the decision .
Kalu, who comes from Abia North Senatorial District, vehemently rejected the arrangement. His campaign organisation described the decision as “frivolous, reckless, unconstitutional, unacceptable and entirely alien to all known precedents of the APC in Abia State”.
He questioned the authenticity of the announcement, noting that most members of the State Working Committee were not even in the state at the time .
Just a day earlier, on April 29, Kalu had also warned against any attempt to impose a consensus candidate on the party, stating that such actions would bring “untold consequences” and would be met with “stiff and unequivocal resistance”.
The zoning firestorm was short-lived. Within 24 hours, the Abia APC reversed itself, announcing that the National Leadership of the party had directed that all zoning arrangements be jettisoned and that the status quo be maintained . All aspirants were declared free to purchase nomination forms for any position .
The reversal came after a coordinated attack on the policy by both Kalu and another major political figure from Abia North, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu . Benjamin Kalu’s political movement had described the zoning decision as “hasty, ill-timed, and lacking broad consultations with key stakeholders”.
Having fought fiercely against zoning and won that battle, Kalu’s sudden voluntary withdrawal on the eve of the primary has raised questions. His stated reason—allowing Abia Central to complete its eight-year rotation—was the very argument the party had initially made and then reversed.
His brother, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, had previously thrown his weight behind Mascot’s ambition, and the senator was seen as a major political force backing the younger Kalu’s bid . With Senator Kalu now holding the party’s senatorial ticket, it remains unclear whether his support for his brother’s governorship ambition has been withdrawn or redirected.
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