Mascot Kalu, younger brother to a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, has purchased his nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming 2027 governorship election in Abia State.
Mascot, who recently declared his interest to contest in the 2027 poll, picked the forms in Abuja on Tuesday, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.
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This newspaper sighted two receipts indicating that the politician paid N40 million as his nomination fee and N10 million for his expression of interest fee.
The receipts were dated 28 April 2026.
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Showdown with Benjamin Kalu
With the picking of the APC governorship forms, Mascot appears ready to battle the party’s ticket with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Like Mascot, Benjamin has an ambition to contest the Abia governorship in 2027 under the APC platform.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Abia North Senator and Mascot’s elder brother, Mr Kalu, clashed with Benjamin over leadership of the APC in Abia.
The senator claimed in a Facebook post that President Bola Tinubu directed him to coordinate activities of the APC in Abia.
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But the deputy speaker countered his claims, arguing that the president insisted that the “highest ranking political office holders like the deputy speaker” should “take care” of the APC affairs in Abia State.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier observed that the battle between Mr Kalu and Benjamin for leadership of the APC in Abia State is connected to the forthcoming 2027 governorship election in the South-eastern state.
The four-year tenure of Alex Otti, governor of Abia State, will elapse by 29 May 2027.
Mr Otti is a member of the Labour Party under which he won the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The governor has yet to declare his interest to seek re-election in 2027.
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