Abuja — In a dramatic political U-turn that has sent shockwaves through the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has reportedly abandoned his long-touted governorship ambition. Emerging reports confirm that the Deputy Speaker appeared secretly before the APC Screening Committee in Abuja on Sunday to seek a return to the House of Representatives for the Bende Federal Constituency in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
The development, which was first uncovered at the Treasures Suites & Conferences in Abuja, marks a sharp departure from Kalu’s previous stance. For months, the Deputy Speaker had dominated the political headlines in the South-East with bold, public declarations of his intent to challenge and unseat the incumbent Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti. Kalu’s rhetoric had centered on a narrative that the APC was ready to reclaim the state, leading many to believe that his governorship campaign was a foregone conclusion.
According to confirmed reports, the screening exercise was conducted by Panel C of the APC House of Representatives Primary Screening Committee. In a move described by witnesses as an attempt to avoid the prying eyes of the media and political observers, Kalu was screened alongside other aspirants for various Federal House seats.
The decision to screen for the Bende Federal Constituency—a seat he currently occupies and one that many political analysts believed he had outgrown given his current stature as the number six citizen in the Nigerian government—has raised eyebrows across the federal capital and his home state. Sources close to the panel noted that the atmosphere during his session was notably low-key, contrasting sharply with the governorship-sized entourage that usually accompanies his public appearances in Umuahia and Aba.
The secrecy surrounding Kalu’s participation in the legislative screening has deepened suspicions within the APC circles. For the better part of a year, Kalu had positioned himself as the standard-bearer for the party’s fight to take over Government House, Umuahia. His sudden shift back to a legislative race has left many party faithful, who had already begun mobilizing for a statewide governorship campaign, feeling confused and politically stranded.
We were told to prepare for a battle for the soul of Abia, one APC stalwart from Abia North, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, remarked. Many of us defended the Deputy Speaker’s larger ambition even when it seemed uphill. Now, seeing him quietly go back for a House of Reps seat makes us wonder if the governorship talk was ever real or just a bargaining chip for political negotiations ahead of 2027.
This sentiment is echoed by many who now question the authenticity of Kalu’s Abia APC Project. Some insiders suggest that the governorship talk may have been a tactical move to maintain his relevance and leverage within the party’s national leadership, while others see it as a trial balloon that failed to gain the necessary buoyancy to challenge an incumbent governor.
Political analysts believe the handwriting on the wall became clear following a series of internal assessments and surveys conducted by the party and various stakeholders. These reports reportedly highlighted the enormous difficulty of marketing the APC brand in Abia State at this juncture, particularly against the backdrop of Governor Alex Otti’s governance style.
Since taking office, Governor Otti has garnered significant popularity through his aggressive infrastructural drive, regular payment of salaries and pensions, and a perceived shift toward transparent governance. The Otti Factor has created a formidable political fortress that even a candidate with the national profile of a Deputy Speaker would find difficult to breach.
The feedback from the ground was likely sobering, noted a political commentator based in Owerri. Abians are currently seeing tangible results in terms of road construction and urban renewal. For Benjamin Kalu to run against that under the APC banner—a party that has struggled for a foothold in the state—would have been a high-risk gamble. It appears he has chosen the safety of his Bende enclave over the uncertainty of a statewide race.
The Deputy Speaker’s withdrawal from the governorship conversation leaves a massive vacuum in the Abia APC. Without a high-profile heavyweight to lead the charge against the Labour Party-led administration, the APC may struggle to present a unified front for the 2027 governorship cycle.
Furthermore, the secret nature of his screening has led to accusations of a lack of transparency. Critics argue that as a high-ranking national official, Kalu owes his supporters a clear and public explanation for his change of heart. By quietly returning to the House of Representatives race, he risks alienating the core of his support base who were energized by the prospect of a gubernatorial challenge.
As the APC primaries draw closer, the focus will now shift to who—if anyone—will step up to fill the void left by Kalu in the governorship race. Meanwhile, in Bende, the Deputy Speaker’s return to the legislative contest is expected to rattle local aspirants who had hoped the seat would be vacant as Kalu moved upward.
For now, the Deputy Speaker remains silent on the development, neither confirming nor denying his presence at the Abuja screening. However, in the fast-paced world of Nigerian politics, his actions at Treasures Suites have spoken louder than any press release, signaling a retreat from the Government House and a return to the green chamber of the National Assembly.
