A former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, are set for a supremacy battle after they separately claimed leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State.
Mr Kalu, who represents Abia North District in the Nigerian Senate, served as governor of Abia State from 1999 to 2007, while Benjamin represents Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
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Both politicians, who are APC members, claimed President Bola Tinubu directed them to lead the party in the state.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State is a member of the Labour Party under which he won the 2023 governorship election in the South-eastern state.
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Benjamin Kalu, Orji Kalu claims
In a Facebook post on Monday, Mr Kalu expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for “the confidence reposed in me and the marching order to coordinate” APC activities in Abia.
“As the most senior governor in the state, I am committed to working closely with all stakeholders, in line with the president’s directive, to ensure that the APC in Abia produces candidates who are widely acceptable, united in purpose, and well-positioned to secure victory in the state for the president’s re-election, while advancing the best interests of Abia State and Nigeria at large,” he wrote.
The senator attached to the post a photograph of himself in a handshake with President Tinubu in a place that appeared to be the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Like Mr Kalu, Benjamin Kalu also made similar claims in his Facebook page at about the same time on Monday.
The deputy speaker, in his own post, countered Senator Kalu’s claims.
He began by thanking President Tinubu for “insisting that governors should handle the issues of the party in the states with APC governors, while the highest ranking political office holders like the deputy speaker takes care of the affairs in Abia State.”
The federal lawmaker claimed that the president re-emphasised the position during an engagement on Friday.
“You have always worked with this model all through the ward, local government and state congresses and it has brought us great success.
“It has united the party more than ever before and we are ready to win elections in Abia State for you and for everyone who has an interest to contest under our party,” he wrote, apparently addressing Mr Tinubu.
“Abia APC has never been this united and forward looking, thanks to your support. We will deliver Abia votes overwhelmingly.”
Like Mr Kalu, the deputy speaker also attached to his post a photograph of himself in a handshake with Mr Tinubu in the Presidential Villa.
PREMIUM TIMES observed that while Mr Tinubu wore a dark blue traditional wear locally referred to as “Senator” in the photograph uploaded by Mr Kalu, the president was dressed in another traditional attire called “Agbada” in the photograph uploaded by the deputy speaker.
Background
The battle between Mr Kalu and Benjamin Kalu for the APC leadership in Abia is connected to the forthcoming 2027 governorship election in the South-eastern state.
Benjamin Kalu has an ambition to contest the Abia governorship in 2027.
Similarly, Mascot Kalu, Mr Kalu’s younger brother, recently declared his interest for the APC ticket for the Abia 2027 governorship election.
Last week, a chieftain of the APC in Abia State, Agwu Emeaba, who is loyal to Mr Kalu, warned against imminent implosion in the party over endorsement of Benjamin Kalu for 2027 by some APC leaders in the state.
On his part, Mascot Kalu also rejected the endorsement of the deputy speaker for the APC governorship ticket.
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“Let it be stated clearly and without ambiguity (that) 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 in a statement issued in mid-April.
“Such an imposition will be met with stiff and unequivocal resistance,” the politician added.
The APC leadership battle in Abia resurfaced about a month after Mr Kalu in March denied any disagreement with the deputy speaker over the control of the party structure.
