The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed support for the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, in his call for Governor Alex Otti to rejoin the ruling party at the centre.
The state Executive Council of the APC has also vowed to suspend Okey Ezeala for falsely representing himself as the party’s publicity secretary and issuing what the leadership described as an unauthorized statement on behalf of the party’s executive committee.
In a statement, Abia APC chairman Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu reaffirmed the party’s strong backing of Kalu and reiterated the call for Otti to return to the APC.
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He described Ezeala as an inconsistent and unreliable character who engages in anti-party activities and unauthorized utterances.
Ononogbu disclosed that the state exco will be summoning Ezeala who purportedly apologised to the state governor on behalf of the party to explain when he became the spokesperson of Abia APC and who authorized him.
According to him, Ezeala’s role as the publicity secretary of the party ended the day he bought a form to contest for the position of the state House of Assembly in the 2023 election, adding that in line with the rules, he is supposed to relinquish his role.
While disclosing that the name of the publicity secretary of the party in the state would be announced soon, Ononogbu enjoined members of APC in Abia to remain calm as the state Executive Committee was handling the matter.
While charging the party members to be more united and firm in supporting the deputy speaker, he urged them to work hard to win more souls for the party and take over government in Abia, come 2027.
The statement read: “We came across a news report where one Okey Ezeala ‘apologised’ to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, claiming he was apologizing for the bold invitation extended by one of our party leaders, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, to the Abia Governor to join APC.
“Okey Ezeala’s apology is unauthorized, fake, unsolicited, hypocritical, and smacks of bitterness and disrespect for the person and office of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu.
“Ezeala claimed he was apologizing on behalf of the APC. Lies! Numerous APC stalwarts have risen to align themselves with Hon. Benjamin Kalu in his invitation to Governor Otti.
“We therefore resolve to make it abundantly clear that we stand with our leader, Hon. Benjamin Kalu on this call and equally put our voice to calling on Governor Otti to return home.
“Ezeala claiming to be the publicity secretary of the party in the state when he’s not is an act of impersonation.
“He will be summoned by the party in the coming days to offer explanations on when he was appointed the party’s spokesperson.
“As we urge our party members to ensure membership of the party grows, we firmly stand with the call by the Deputy Speaker on Governor Otti.”
