…say backing South West offers clearest path to Igbo presidency
…present two-year legislative scorecard to elder statesmen, party leaders
By Gloria Ikibah
The Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has taken President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s message of unity and reconciliation to key political stakeholders across Abia State, urging leaders of the All Progressives Congress to close ranks and strengthen party cohesion.
Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency, embarked on a series of courtesy visits spanning Abia North, Abia Central and Abia South, as part of efforts to reinforce party structures and align stakeholders with a broader vision of national stability and inclusive governance.
During the tour, he met with former Abia State governor and ex-Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, in Abia North; held discussions with Senator John Bob Nwannunu in Abia Central; and paid a visit to Sir Mac Wabara, former managing director of the defunct Hallmark Bank and a prominent APC chieftain, in Abia South.
Across the engagements, the focus remained on internal party unity, collaboration among leaders and the need for sustained engagement to strengthen the APC and promote political stability.
Kalu conveyed the President’s call for party leaders at all levels to reach out to one another, set aside internal divisions and work collectively in the interest of a stronger party and a more united nation. He noted that the season offered an opportunity for reflection, reconciliation and renewed commitment to the ideals of unity and inclusion.
Turning to the national political landscape, the Deputy Speaker appealed to the Igbo to approach politics with strategy and pragmatism, emphasising that votes should be invested for long-term gain rather than expended without clear returns.
He argued that the most viable route to the emergence of an Igbo president lies in building strong political alliances, particularly through support for the South West, which he described as the shortest path to trust, inclusion and political reciprocity at the national level.
Kalu reaffirmed his loyalty to the President’s vision, his commitment to party unity and his resolve to advance the interests of the South East within Nigeria’s political framework.
He also presented his two-year legislative scorecard to the elder statesmen and party leaders, inviting open assessment of his performance as part of a broader commitment to accountability, self-evaluation and improved service delivery.
“I believe leadership must be subjected to scrutiny. I presented my two-year scorecard and asked them to honestly assess what I have done so far, so I can do better,” he said
Kalu charged party stakeholders to immediately intensify grassroots mobilization and strategic engagement to ensure a resounding victory for the party in the 2027 general elections.
He declared that the era of merely negotiating for 25 percent votes for the President in Abia State is over, stressing that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state now has the structure, momentum and political capital to deliver outright victory.
Kalu expressed confidence that with growing grassroots support and renewed unity among stakeholders, Abia APC is fully positioned to win the state convincingly for President Bola Tinubu in future elections.
The Deputy Speaker said: “And in this I want us to remember that this President has shown leadership. The policies were tough but the President was steadfast, courageous in his policies. He defended those policies, stood by them, today we have started benefiting from those policies.
“So, any man who did this is supposed to be praised, and I am happy that it is the government of APC that made this happen. Igbo’s, let us invest our votes. Igbo’s, let us not waste our votes. The time of wasting our votes just to prove a point, sentimental point is gone. What you play politics with is numbers, not how sentimental you were.
“If you carry your vote and dump it where it does not count toward success, you have wasted your opportunity to go to the negotiation table and ask for what you have invested in. Why do we ask for dividends if we have not made any investments? There is no company in this world that will pay you dividends when you have not made any investments. The time of the investment has come, in the next few months we’ll be expected to make investments. Are we going to make investments or are we going to waste investments? The vote we have in our hands is the currency for investments.
“When the time comes, I plead with the Igbo’s let your votes count, not because it is not going to be counted, or because it was given where it would not drive success, know that as it is today, in the political calculation President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is where we will invest our votes and it will count. That’s the truth, let’s keep sentiments aside, let’s forget emotions. He’s from the south, the southern political corridor must stay united, it must be consolidated, so that we will be seen as standing as one.
“Any attempt to use any sentiments to break us, and then the south east will go with a paltry sum of votes, whereas it will swing the way that we don’t want and this thing might go back to where it’s coming from. It’s not what we should encourage as leaders in Igbo land. We should invest our votes. We are investing it because truly these two years that the president has been in office, he has proven that he wants to work with the Igbo’s. He has proven that there is no discrimination in the allocation of projects, in the setting of projects. We may not have it all done at the same time but there is a political will to do the first thing. He’s a listening president, I beg of you let us stand by him, and his current policies.”
The elder statesmen, in their separate remarks, commended the Deputy Speaker for his impressive performance at the National Assembly, describing his interventions and contributions as impactful and people-oriented.
They lauded his decision to present his two-year scorecard for open critique, noting that it reflected transparency, humility and a commitment to effective representation.
They assured him of their continued support and pledged to work collectively to strengthen party structures and mobilize grassroots support to ensure resounding victory for the party at the polls come 2027.