The Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu has challenged members of the Abia All Progressive Congress, (APC), political pro-groups and structures including the Reality Organisation and OUK Movement to brace up for the political battle of 2027 to ensure that all APC Candidates including President Bola Tinubu, senators, House of Representatives and House of Assembly members and governor are delivered.
Addressing the members at the first quarter meeting of the party and pro groups at his country home, Igbere in Bende LGA of Abia State, the former governor of Abia State said the just concluded successful congress of APC in the State has ended every disagreement and factions in the party.
“This meeting is not by coincidence. This is the first quarter meeting of OUK Movement and Reality Organisation. The essence of this meeting is to remind you that APC is one.
“The congress is one. Everything the deputy speaker did I did it with him. The essence is to assure everyone that Abia APC is now one family.
“APC must deliver President Tinubu, all senators, House of Representatives members, House of Assembly members and governor. We must have the full benefits of our hard work in 2027.
“What we saw in 2023 must not happen again. APC will deliver the president. This is my commitment, to deliver President Tinubu,” Kalu said.
He called on Governor Alex Otti of Abia State to complement the President for the huge financial allocation to the State which he said has enabled him to work in the State, saying “all the roads are being refunded. The quantum of money coming to Abia State is much.”
Kalu warned against thuggery in the 2027 elections, arguing that there would be no need for thuggery since the party has the membership required to win.
“We will not allow thuggery in Abia State. Other parties claim they have the number, they lie.
“We have the people. We are not afraid of any body, we are APC, we play by the rule.”
He said there is nothing special about building roads in Abia State as a political mileage for governor Alex Otti, saying he did much more as governor, “I built all the roads in Aba and Umuahia.
“I don’t know what is new in building roads. Abia should be providing free education at all levels. I gave free education from primary to secondary school level. The money coming to Abia State is enough to provide free education at all levels.”
Kalu explained that as governor, he lived at the government house Umuahia not minding how unbefitting it was and wondered why the seat of government should be moved to the private residence of the governor.
Senator Kalu said President Tinubu deserves second term having done well in the economy where food inflation dropped from 28% to 22%, stabilized exchange rate and removal of the fuel subsidy. He urged the people not to bother about the sharp rise in fuel price orchestrated by the war in the middle east.
He also declared support for the State Police proposed by the president allaying fears that it could be used by governors to violate the rights of perceived opposition.
Kalu assured that the national assembly would make laws to safeguard individuals against the excesses of some governors who he said could be tried for rights violation when they leave office.
He reminded the members that it is victory for the president that gives the bargaining power when it comes to distribution of political rewards and offices.
Also speaking, the immediate past speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, underscored the need for unity of purpose in order for APC to deliver President Tinubu and support whoever emerges as the party’s governorship candidate to take over the State in 2027.
He declared that anyone who has become politically relevant in Abia today passed through the tutelage of senator Kalu including his father, former governor Theodore Orji, himself, the immediate past governor and numerous others.
In his remarks, the APC governorship candidate, Sir Mascot Uzor Kalu, reiterated the unity of the party, which he said the just concluded state congress has engendered.
He used the event to declare his interest in the governorship of Abia State in 2027 and solicited for support and “focus on things ahead.”
APC State Secretary, Chief Chidi Avuaja, said the party would take over Abia State in 2027 and urged the members to work towards victory. Other speakers, including former commissioner, Dr Ori Obasi, leader of Reality Organisation, Bar Peter Ndukwe, APC candidate for Arochukwu/Ohafia federal Constituency in 2023, Chief Dan Okeke, noted that with the unity in APC nothing would stop them from realizing their dream of victory in 2027.
