2027: My People Want Continuity, Says Deputy Speaker, Kalu, As He Clinches APC Ticket For Bende Federal Constituency

• Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has emerged the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Bende Federal Constituency.
  Kalu emerged unopposed in the APC House of Representatives primary election held across the eight Federal constituencies in Abia State on Saturday, to contest for the Bende House of Representatives seat in 2027 for the third consecutive time.
  Also returned unopposed is the immediate-past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Rt. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who secured the ticket to contest for Isuikwuato/Umunneichi Federal Constituency for a record fifth time.
  Addressing newsmen at the Umuahia state party headquarters Saturday night, Kalu thanked his constituents for the trust but said he was going to campaign like he was contesting for the first time.
  “I’m happy that my people, the members of my party, found me worthy to go back to the House of Representatives,” Kalu said.
  “They’ve been saying it for a while, but today they decided to formalize it and they massively came out to endorse me for my third term, to represent the good people of Bende federal constituency,” he added.
  He said that no one bought form to contest against him, making him to emerge unchallenged..
  “As you know, we have 13 federal political wards in Bende federal constituency. It’s one of the largest local governments in Nigeria that have not been divided since 1976. They (party faithful) came together, and no other aspirant picked form to run against me.

“I think the reason being that they want continuity. They want me to finish what I’ve started. They believe in the Renewed Hope agenda of the President, which I’m projecting, and which I’ve ensured that we deepen at the grassroots.”
While expressing gratitude to the people, he promised to continue representing them selflessly, vowing not to disappoint them or misuse the opportunity.
“I’m very grateful to the people of Bende. I’ve not failed you since we started. I’m not about starting that now.
“We still have work to do, and I promise you, like I’ve always promised, we will represent you selflessly. We will put your needs before ours, like we have always done.
“So I feel delighted that I’m given this opportunity to be back. And I will not misuse it, like I’ve done from 2019. Now, it will be greater.”
He said when returned in 2027, he would work harder. “We expect more lawmaking. We expect more representative function in analyzing your needs and making sure that the federal institution is drawn to that.”
Asked why he was so confident of returning, when the general elections where he would face candidates of other political parties was still ahead, he replied that Bende people wouldn’t root for a neophyte when they know that seniority matters at the National Assembly, stressing that Bende would like to move forward rather than going backwards.

“Yes, I am confident, more confident going into this (2027 election) because I have worked and my work is speaking.

“And I believe that my people are wise people. They will not take a man who has counted Year 1 to Year 8 in a school and want to remove him and take somebody that will count Year 1.
“Anybody who comes to the House today will not be coming as a presiding officer. This is the height of it all. If you bring anybody lower than me, you are underdeveloping Bende because before he will learn the ropes, the rope that we have written books on, the time will be over,” he said..
According to him, Bende people, being wise, would rather want to consolidate.
“They are going to build on the strength that we have achieved so far,” he said, adding “they wouldn’t go backwards” because of the “seniority” advantage in parliament. “To be honest, in the parliament there is seniority,” he stressed. “If a senior is at Grade 8, you don’t replace him with Grade 1.
“We are confident that the electorate, having seen our work, will encourage us to go back with their votes,” he said.
Despite this, Kalu said he would not “leave any stone unturned,” during electioneering, vowing “to campaign in every home every market and do house-to-house.”
“I am not going to go to this campaign feeling like a Deputy Speaker, no. We are going to go to this campaign like other candidates of other parties. And we will preach to our people what we are bringing on board.” he signed off.