The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has officially zoned its governorship ticket for the 2027 general elections to the Abia Central Senatorial District, a decision that delivers a significant political blow to Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who hails from Abia North.
The announcement, contained in a press statement signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, on Thursday, serves as a formal directive to members and intending aspirants regarding the purchase of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.
“This decision is taken in the interest of equity, justice, and fair play, and in line with the party’s commitment to balanced representation across the three senatorial zones,” the statement read in part.
The party anchored its decision on Abia State’s longstanding tradition of power rotation among its three senatorial zones, a political convention that has governed the state’s political architecture since the return of democracy in 1999.
The APC argued that the current configuration of its leadership and the state’s recent political history made Abia Central the most deserving zone. The statement noted that the state chairman of the party hails from Abia North Senatorial District, while the immediate past governor of Abia State emerged from Abia South the same zone as Kalu.
The implication for Kalu, widely regarded as one of the most prominent APC figures in the South East, is stark. As a native of Bende Local Government Area in Abia North, the Deputy Speaker is effectively locked out of the party’s governorship race under this zoning arrangement at least on the APC platform.
The party appealed to aspirants and stakeholders from other zones to honour the decision. “We appeal to all aspirants and stakeholders from other zones to respect this decision of the party in the spirit of sportsmanship,” the statement added.
The Statement signed by Uche Aguoru, Publicity Secretary, APC Abia State. is expected to reshape the political calculations of major governorship hopefuls across the state as the 2027 election season gathers momentum. It also signals a more structured approach by the APC to building a competitive structure in Abia State, which is currently governed by Labour Party’s Governor Alex Otti.
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