A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Agwu Emeaba, has raised alarms over the party's endorsement of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu for the 2027 Abia governorship race. The endorsement, issued after a meeting of APC stakeholders from the state's three senatorial districts in Umuahia, has sparked internal dissent. Emeaba warned the move could trigger an implosion within the party, describing it as divisive and premature. He argued that the process sidelined two other aspirants: businessman Mascot Kalu and industrialist Henry Ikoh, a former minister of state for trade and industry.
Emeaba accused Benjamin Kalu of holding party consultations without including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and the other gubernatorial hopefuls. He described the exclusion as political amnesia, noting that some of those left out had previously mentored the deputy speaker. The chieftain urged the APC State Working Committee to intervene and prevent further disunity. He suggested that either Mascot Kalu or Henry Ikoh would be a more unifying choice for the party. Meanwhile, Mascot Kalu has rejected the endorsement, calling it illegitimate and vowing stiff resistance against any imposition.
Benjamin Kalu's endorsement is being pushed by APC stakeholders who claim unity while excluding key party figures, including those who helped build his political career. Mascot Kalu and Henry Ikoh, both named aspirants, are now positioned as challengers to a process that has already declared a winner. The APC in Abia risks fracturing along mentor-protégé lines, with Orji Uzor Kalu's absence from the consultations raising questions about loyalty and succession. A party that sidelines its own in favour of a single narrative may find itself short on allies come election day.
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