BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Benjamin Kalu, says contrary to insinuations in some quarters, not even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can claim personal ownership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, APC “is where everybody is given a sense of importance, of relevance, where it will be made obvious that no one man will own the party, not Benjamin Kalu, not anybody.”
Addressing the APC stakeholders during its ward congress in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, Kalu urged everyone to embrace unity and cohesion towards the party’s success in the 2027 elections, maintaining that the party belongs to all its members.
He said the party’s focus was to eliminate internal divisions and “build a united front, anchored on discipline, inclusion, and purpose”, adding; “That is the vision of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When I met with him, he said, I can’t even say my party, I like saying our party.”
Kalu, who is the APC leader in Abia State, explained that the earlier congress was cancelled because there were multiple forms in the state against the directive of the national leadership of the party.
He said the leadership decided that there was no need to do any other congress than that, which it believed would strengthen the party’s cohesion, maintaining that, “It is nothing else but a congress of harmonisation. And harmonisation is where stakeholders are given a sense of belonging in deciding who will lead from their ward to their local government, as well as the state.”
In his remarks, Chairman of the Congress Committee, Emmanuel Goar, had promised a peaceful and transparent congress, while urging the stakeholders to cooperate with the committee as constituted by the national leadership of the party
With the pledge to conduct a “congress of harmonisation” as agreed by the people, Goar, the former Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly and former member, House of Representatives, said the national committee would work with the State Committee to ensure a successful congress.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC had rescheduled its Ward and Local Government congresses for February 25 and February 26 after resolving its internal conflict, even as the Party affirmed its commitment to unity, expansion, and preparation for the 2027 General Elections.
Reports indicated that forms were later distributed for the conduct of the congress across the 184 wards in the state with the Local Government congress slated for today, Thursday, February 26, 2026.
