Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has dismissed speculations linking him to the 2027 Abia State governorship race, insisting that his present focus is on governance and effective representation.
Kalu stated this while speaking with journalists at his country home in Bende, Abia State, where he said any future political ambition would be decided by his constituents and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the appropriate time.
According to him, the moment calls for service rather than political declarations, noting that the APC upholds party supremacy and collective decision-making.
“This is not the time for ambition. It is the time for governance. I am engaging my people, listening to their concerns and working on solutions,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker added that his responsibilities now extend beyond Bende Federal Constituency, explaining that his position in the National Assembly places him in a role that represents Abia State, the South East and the country as a whole.
Addressing speculations surrounding his call on Governor Alex Otti to join the APC, Kalu said the move was motivated by the desire to integrate Abia into mainstream national politics for greater development opportunities, and not by personal ambition.
“I encouraged him to join because it would benefit Abia and the South East. It was never about me. I was even willing to support him if he had joined the party,” Kalu said, adding that he had since stopped persuading the governor after observing his lack of interest.
He described Governor Otti as a personal friend and rejected claims that he was blocking the governor’s entry into the APC, stressing that politics should not be personalised.
“If he comes today, he leads and we all support him. That is the culture of our party,” he said.
Highlighting his legislative and constituency achievements, Kalu said his record in Bende Federal Constituency surpassed that of previous representatives.
He listed over 20 completed road projects with more than 15 ongoing, 32 completed schools and over 20 under construction, alongside the provision of civic centres, ICT facilities, solar mini-grids and other electricity projects.
Kalu also disclosed that Bende community has been connected to the national grid through the Aloji power station, with plans underway to extend electricity to neighbouring communities.
He further said he had attracted several federal interventions to address erosion challenges in the constituency, describing Bende as a vast local government area that may eventually be split into three to improve administrative efficiency.
