Bnjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who described himself as the authentic leader of the South East when he unveiled South East Peace Initiative, is reportedly planning to seek for the office of the Governor of Abia state in the next general election

Kalu who sparked outrage in his home state of Abia following his earlier declaration that the incumbent Governor Alex Otti would be unseated in 2027 by whatever means has reportedly concluded plans to officially make known his ambition come February 2025.

The details of the official declaration is yet to be made public but information says that it might be held in Umuahia, the state capital.

Although he would be running under the platform of All Progressives Congress( APC) he is expected to battle it out with other candidates such as the former ministers Henry Iko and Dr Uche Ogah.

While other aspirants may likely emerge from the APC especially from Abia North senatorial zone as the zone is keen on producing the next governor of the state, Kalu is unlikely to step down for any of the aspirants unless a stronger aspirant from the party emerges.

Recently, the deputy speaker in a video footage of his media interview had declared that Otti would be the last Labour Party governor in Abia. He boasted  that as Nigeria’s number six citizen, he would not sit by and allow an opposition party to control Abia.

Kalu further stated that Abia must be taken over by his own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and confessed he would pay any price needed to become Governor of the state come 2027.

The open remarks against the governor was greeted with condemnation as the Governor’s allies considered the statement as condescending, denigrating, and disrespectful in every sense of the word.

A member of the House of Representatives from Abia, Hon. Obi Aguocha, who represents Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South federal constituency fired back at Kalu and accused him of making comments smacked of arrogance and power drunkenness.

The LP lawmaker reminded Kalu that his “patently repeated boasting and referring to yourself as No.6 in the order of leadership hierarchy of the federal government portrays you less as a leader and more like a man with an open display of brazenness and rabid indiscretion”.

“My brother, we are distinguished colleagues with you representing the good people of Bende Federal Constituency. Whilst we elected you to be our Deputy Speaker, it does not confer on you an audacity to declare vacant the seat of the governor of AbiaState in 2027,” Aguocha stated.
He warned Kalu to tread cautiously, saying that the Bende Federal Constituency seat being occupied by him is indeed very shaky hence he might not return to the National Assembly in 2027.

According to Aguocha, it was LP that actually won the 2023 poll in Bende Federal Constituency, insinuating the result was manipulated in favour of the APC and its candidate, Kalu.

“We can also be brazen enough to declare that seat vacant again,” Aguocha told the Deputy Speaker.

He insisted that as far as Abia State is concerned, “there is no vacancy” in government house come 2027 even if Kalu, as of his own right, is nursing his ambition of becoming governor.