Dpty Speaker Benjamin Kalu Drops Governorship Ambition, Seeks Re-election to House of Reps
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu has finally abandoned his governorship ambition in Abia State and opted to re-contest his Bende Federal Constituency seat.
FACTSHEET reported that on Sunday May 3, 2026 some select stakeholders cutting across the three senatorial zones of Abia State had gathered in Abuja and presented the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship nomination forms to the Deputy Speaker urging him to contest the top seat of Abia State. While accepting the forms, Hon Kalu assured his guests that that APC would sweep the polls from the House of Assembly seats, the National Assembly and the governorship seat in 2027.
However, FACTSHEET checks at the APC national secretariat reveal that so far, only Mr. Mascot Uzor Kalu, a younger brother of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has been screened as a governorship aspirant from Abia State.
Further checks also confirmed that Hon Kalu presented himself for screening for the House of Representatives. The Deputy Speaker, feelers revealed was screened by team C of the APC National Assembly Screening Committee that sat at the Treasure Suites in Maitama, Abuja.
A chieftain of the the APC who spoke to FACTSHEET on the condition of anonymity stated that “the Deputy Speaker was deceived by more experienced politicians in the Abia State who saw him as being too forward” so they entered into a deal with the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti.
Speaking further, the APC top official also expressed concern over the future of the Deputy Speaker if he returns to the House of Representatives.
According to him, “you can see that both Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Imo State governor who is willing to resign his position as governor and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who is also a personal friend of President Bola Tinubu are angling to return to the Senate to possibly emerge as the President of the Senate, so where does that leave Hon Kalu?”
He, however, noted that the if President Tinubu wins, “he may not be willing to change the leadership of the National Assembly, a set that has granted his every wish.”
At press time, the office of the deputy speaker has not issued any statement on the sudden change of the plans of the lawmaker.