Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not rely on federal power to capture Abia State in the 2027 general elections, but will rather secure victory through the will and votes of the people.
Kalu made the declaration on Sunday in Umuahia while addressing members of the Renewed Hope Partners and other stakeholders of the APC in Abia.
According to him, contrary to insinuations that the ruling party plans to use the influence of the federal government to take over the state, the APC is committed to democratic principles and will earn the people’s mandate through massive voter participation.
“We are not going to take over this state by force. Some people think we plan to use federal government power — no! We are going to use the votes of the masses,” Kalu asserted.
The Deputy Speaker urged APC members and residents of Abia to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), which he said would serve as the instrument to “sack the ruling government in 2027.”
Kalu accused the Labour Party (LP)-led administration in Abia of underperformance, arguing that past administrations recorded greater achievements despite operating with smaller monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
“Former Governors Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu achieved more with about ₦3 to ₦4 billion monthly allocations. Today, Abia receives far higher sums, yet the level of development does not reflect the resources,” he stated.
The Deputy Speaker also maintained that the people of Abia would overwhelmingly re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, citing the President’s numerous developmental strides and financial support to state governments.
Kalu lamented that some individuals have resorted to attacking him for speaking the truth about governance in the state, but vowed not to be intimidated.
“Some people insult me for telling the truth, but I will continue to speak up as the leader of the opposition in Abia. The truth must be told for the good of our people,” he affirmed.
