Abia State-born Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, of the APC, has disclosed that he has exhausted his long-standing efforts urging Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti of the Labour Party, to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and lead the party in the state. He assured Otti of his and other APC members’ followership if he did.

Kalu, during a press conference held at his Bende country home at the weekend, recalled that Otti was a member of the APC and contributed to strengthening it. He added that Otti’s return would further strengthen the party in the state and reposition Abia not only among states governed by the APC-led federal government but also recover it from the Labour Party, which currently produces the only state governor from that party in the country.

“For long, I persevered in inviting Governor Otti, who had been my personal friend before we joined active politics, to re-join us in the APC. Noting that Otti has seemingly decided not to re-join the APC for now, it is Otti himself who knows his best option,” he said.

Rep. Kalu added that even as a party leader, he supports the view that any serving governor who defects to the APC should take charge of the APC structure in the state, as per the party’s national policy. Hence, he exclaimed, “I am no longer urging or prodding Otti to return to the APC.”

Asked if his speculated gubernatorial aspiration in 2027 would be affected by Governor Otti’s return to the APC, DS Kalu waved off the opinion, saying, “We are still in 2026, and 2027 is far away.

I have not declared my intention regarding what I will contest for in 2027. At the right time, I will take a stand based on what my people and the APC will say. Governorship is not the only position available for contest in 2027, as I have the potential for others.”

He said, however, that there are calls for his gubernatorial contest that extend beyond Bende Constituency and Abia State, cutting across party lines, politicians and non-politicians, sex, and ethnicity.

According to the Deputy Speaker, whether Otti returns to the APC or not, the party must present a gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 election.

“For now, I am occupied with striving to actualise the mandate of my Bende constituents, including discharging various responsibilities imposed by my office as the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.”

The Deputy Speaker also gave updates on some national issues, including state creation, local government autonomy, President Bola Tinubu, Electoral Act amendments, e-voter registration, and federal projects in his Bende Constituency, among others.

He tasked the Igbo to agitate as one in order to succeed in their quest for additional states that would bring the South-East to parity with other zones, and to ensure that all persons of voting age are registered during the ongoing registration exercise.

“If the South-East wants an additional state, they ought to come together and not be disunited in their quest,” he said, reporting that a suggestion was made to include the Igbo-speaking area of Delta State in the new proposed state named Animoma.