We Have All It Takes to Deliver Tinubu in Abia, Says Deputy Speaker Kalu
Boniface Okoro in Umuahia
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Abia State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has the numbers to deliver him in the state in the 2027 general election.
The Deputy Speaker gave the assurance at an APC stakeholders’ Pre-Congress meeting in Bende which adopted President Tinubu as its sole candidate for the 2027 presidential poll and passed a vote of confidence on him for his people-oriented leadership.
The meeting also affirmed the Deputy Speaker as the leader of APC in Abia in recognition of his efforts to boost the party’s profile and turn around its fortunes in the State.
Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Speaker, who chaired the meeting, said that the ultimate goal of the meeting was to deliver President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
“Everything we have come to do today boils down to one thing: delivering His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. All we came to do is to make sure that the structures that we set up within the party, be it at the Ward, Local Government or State levels, at the end of the day, we will deliver President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
He thereafter moved a motion that “that Abia State APC wholly adopts the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as our sole candidate for the coming election.”
The motion was seconded by the APC National Welfare Secretary, Chief Donatus Nwankpa.
Reflecting on the just concluded electronic membership registration of the party, the Deputy Speaker said that contrary to the speculations and pessimism in some quarters, Abia APC recorded significant progress with the registration of over 160,000 members, expressing gratitude to the members for their commitment and support.
He disclosed that APC National Chairman had set a target of 30, 000 for Abia because people had told him that the party in the state does not have the numbers but he assured him that although the party had no governor, it has a Deputy Speaker and with the commitment of members, over 160, 000 members were registered. He was upbeat that before the 2027 polls, Abia APC membership would hit one million.
“We have all it takes to deliver to Mr. President more than the 25 per cent votes that they are dangling in front of him. This party is sitting at 160,000 now only because the NIN machines were not enough. If we had more NIN machines, our party (membership) is more than one million people in this state.
“Between now and one year from when the election will come, we will shock Mr. President with the number of the members of this great party of ours. It is a promise,” Kalu said.
Preaching peace and unity among members, he declared the days of factions over.
“We don’t have factions in this party. So, don’t come and tell me about factions. Anybody maintaining faction is not a member of our party. It’s part of our resolution today. We must be together if we are going to win massively in this state,” he added.
For her contributions to the growth of Abia APC, a former Senator, Nkechi Nwaogu, who represented Abia Central at the Senate moved a motion for adoption of the Deputy Speaker as Leader of Abia APC. It was seconded by the member representing Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency of Abia State at the House of Representatives, Hon. Chris Nkwonta and was unanimously endorsed.
Kalu accepted the responsibility, saying “I hereby accept the call to duty to lead our party to success in 2027.
In their separate goodwill messages, the APC leaders extolled the leadership qualities of the Deputy Speaker and his numerous contributions to the growth of the party in the State, unanimously affirming him as their leader.
