Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State have endorsed the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, to contest the 2027 governorship election, exposing early fault lines within the party.
The endorsement, announced at a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia on Sunday, drew participants from across the state’s three senatorial zones and 17 local government areas. Several party leaders urged Kalu to enter the race, arguing that the party needed a candidate with the capacity to secure victory.
But the move was swiftly rejected by the camp of Mascot Uzor Kalu, another prominent aspirant, who accused party leaders of attempting to impose a preferred candidate without broad consultation.
Speaking at the meeting, Martins Azubuike, the south-east representative at the Federal Capital Civil Service, said the gathering was aimed at consolidating party structures following recent congresses.
“We are here to take voices from Abians through the delegation of 17 LGAs as representatives of the wards,” he said, describing the process as part of efforts to strengthen internal cohesion.
In a measured response, Benjamin Kalu welcomed the endorsement but stopped short of declaring his candidacy, saying he would make his position known “in a few weeks”.
“I want to thank you for finding me worthy of this position,” he told party members. “When that response comes, you will be happy.”
He added that the party was already positioning itself to reclaim power in Abia in 2027, pledging that it would play a more assertive opposition role in the state ahead of the election.
However, the endorsement has deepened internal tensions. In a statement, Mascot Kalu warned that any attempt to sideline other aspirants through a pre-arranged consensus would be resisted.
“Any premeditated consensus arrangement … without the participation of all aspirants … is illegitimate, unacceptable, and null and void,” he said, vowing “stiff and unequivocal resistance”.
The dispute underscores the early jostling for control within the APC in Abia, as aspirants and party factions begin to position themselves ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested 2027 race.
