Incumbent Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has emerged victorious in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election, securing the party’s ticket for the 2027 general elections with a landslide victory over his lone challenger, Philip Nto.
The direct primary election, conducted across the five local government areas and 57 wards of Abia North Senatorial District on Monday, witnessed massive participation by party members and stakeholders.
At the end of the exercise, Senator Kalu polled 65,651 votes to defeat Philip Nto, who secured 2,103 votes, giving the former Senate Chief Whip a commanding victory margin of 63,548 votes.
The official results announced at the APC collation centre in Umuahia showed that a total of 72,028 registered voters participated in the exercise, while 69,441 voters were accredited. Total votes cast stood at 67,854.
According to the breakdown released by the APC Primary Election Committee:
Total number of wards: 57
Total registered voters: 72,028
Total accredited voters: 69,441
Total votes cast: 67,854
Votes scored by Orji Uzor Kalu: 65,651
Votes scored by Philip Nto: 2,103
The primary election was supervised by designated returning officers deployed across the various local government areas in the senatorial district, including Comrade Chisom Eneogwe Christopher for Isuikwuato LGA, Chima Okorie for Ohafia LGA, Hon. Tony Mezie Nwubani for Bende LGA, Enyioma Ekebuike for Umunneochi LGA, while Wilson Chukwuma Eze coordinated the Arochukwu collation centre.
Announcing the result, Chairman of the Abia North Senatorial National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Mr. Chinedu Christian Kanu, described the exercise as peaceful, transparent and credible.
He commended APC members, stakeholders and electoral officials for ensuring a smooth conduct of the primaries across the district.
According to him, Senator Kalu secured overwhelming support from party members through a transparent direct primary process aimed at producing credible candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Kalu’s victory now clears the path for his re-election bid ahead of the February 2027 National Assembly elections.
Since his election into the Senate in 2019, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has remained one of the most influential lawmakers from the South-East, with his legislative and constituency interventions focused on infrastructure, education, industrialization, youth empowerment and economic development.
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatization and Chairman of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Kalu has also played strategic roles in attracting federal projects and investments to the South-East region.
Across Abia North Senatorial District, the senator has facilitated the construction and rehabilitation of over 160 rural roads linking communities in Arochukwu, Ohafia, Isuikwuato, Umunneochi and Bende Local Government Areas.
The road projects have reportedly improved transportation, enhanced access to rural markets and reduced post-harvest losses for farmers in agrarian communities.
In the area of rural electrification and security, solar-powered street lights have equally been installed in over 150 communities across the district to boost commercial activities and improve security.
Kalu has also championed industrial and economic development initiatives, including the establishment of cashew processing and tricycle assembly plants in Igbere, aimed at creating employment opportunities for youths and residents.
Under his leadership at the South East Development Commission, the commission secured a ₦140 billion budgetary allocation targeted at critical infrastructure, healthcare and education projects across the South-East geopolitical zone.
Education has also remained a major focus of his constituency projects, with the senator facilitating the construction and renovation of schools, classroom blocks, libraries and science laboratories across Abia North.
Thousands of students have equally benefited from scholarships, bursaries, educational materials and sponsorship programmes linked to initiatives facilitated through his foundation.
On empowerment, Senator Kalu has distributed grants, tricycles, motorcycles, sewing machines, generators, laptops and agricultural inputs to women, youths, artisans and farmers across the district as part of efforts to promote self-reliance and reduce unemployment.
