An APC senatorial aspirant for Abia North, Dr. Philips Nto, has cautioned against handing over the Abia State structure of the party to his rival, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
He said that apart from such an action running against the principles of equity and fairness in political contest, Orji Uzor Kalu lacks the capacity to unite APC members in the state and carry them along.
Nto, a former Commissioner for Finance in Abia State, declared that the recognised leader of the APC in the state is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Speaking after a consultative stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, and against speculation that Orji Uzor Kalu had been handed control of the APC structure in Abia, Nto said 90 per cent of APC members in the state, including the executive, believe in the leadership of Ben Kalu.
He described Ben Kalu as a unifying factor between original APC members and those who defected from the PDP.
He noted that whereas Ben Kalu commands the respect and loyalty of APC members, Orji Uzor Kalu has largely restricted himself to Abuja, where he hopes to be given an automatic ticket.
“Now that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has categorically stated that all National Assembly members should go home and contest primaries under the supervision of their governors, we are waiting for our senator to come to the field to join us,” the former Provost of Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, declared.
He said he was confident of defeating Orji Uzor Kalu at the primaries because the people of Abia North are disenchanted with the current representation.
Dr. Nto argued that Orji Uzor Kalu is a liability to the Abia APC because he has refused to engage with other stakeholders in the state.
“A few days ago, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Governor of Imo State, invited Abia stakeholders to Owerri. Orji Uzor Kalu was not there. He believes he is bigger than Hope, bigger than the zonal executive and Abia executive. Let him come to the field for us to test our popularity,” he submitted.
Dr. Nto commended Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu for his exemplary and purposeful leadership, which has attracted top politicians in Abia State to the APC.
According to him, “Ben Kalu has shown exceptional capacity for leadership. He is our leader. He has mobilised all of us for Tinubu. So we should continue to support him.”
