Bende 2027 and the Theatrics of Prayer: Ben Kalu Has Already Found Favour with God and the People of Bende – By Charles Thomas

As the 2027 general elections draw closer, panic is setting into the camp of the opposition in Bende Federal Constituency. That panic is now expressing itself in a scramble for public validation and, curiously, for spiritual validation as well.

To be clear, no serious person disputes the place of God, prayer, and spiritual blessing in our individual lives. It is precisely this understanding that informed the thinking behind the N780 million church-support intervention in Bende, a gesture rooted in faith and community, not propaganda.

Opposition voices in the Bende federal constituency, however, chose a different route. They took to social media claiming that Rt. Hon. Ben Kalu’s office had smuggled N1 billion into the 2026 budget to purchase musical instruments for churches. The figure was sensational. The motive they imputed was worse.

The facts tells a different story. In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Rt Hon Ben Kalu clarified that the actual allocation is N780 million not N1 billion and that its purpose was being deliberately distorted by critics.

Contrary to how it was framed, the budget line is not a “church grant” in the crude sense suggested by the opposition. It is, in fact, a youth re-orientation and social support programme, to be implemented through faith-based organisations. The specific items involved are evangelical instruments and public address systems, intended to support campaigns against drug abuse, sexual offences, and violent crime, while instilling discipline, values, peace, and character among young people across the Bende federal constituency.

With more than 200 churches spread across the thirteen electoral wards of Bende, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ben Kalu being a man of faith himself understands clearly the role religious institutions play in shaping public opinion, reinforcing the cultural and moral values that hold our communities together. This intervention reflects that understanding, and a determination to leave no stone unturned in service of the people.

In rushing to condemn this brilliant initiative on social media, the faintly opposition voices betrayed its self by failing to grasp something fundamental: the needs of the people of Bende federal constituency are both physical, mental, educational, emotional, and spiritual all at once. In attacking a programme designed to meet those needs holistically, they scored an own goal again.

Once the political cost of that miscalculation became apparent, the same voices performed an abrupt about-turn suddenly started seeking the blessings of some pastors themselves, purely for the optics of spiritual validation.

Rt. Hon Ben Kalu needs no such theatre. His life stands as a testament to God’s divine favour and grace, a man who, like Jesus whilst he was on earth, has found favour both before God and before the people of Bende. Look closely, and you will see a man clearly and consistently helped by God.

That is precisely why Rt. Ben Kalu has no need for public prayer stunts to prove his faith or his love for God. Such displays belong to the tradition of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, not to genuine service.

Rt. Hon Ben Kalu understands something else too: it is PVCs and ballots, backed by proven results not social media noise or spiritual showmanship that gets people democratically elected. On that measure, and on the record, Bende already knows where it stands.