Kalu positions for Reps return, may ditch gov bid

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Fresh revelations emerged on Tuesday that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, may have dropped a possible governorship bid and opted to seek a return to the House of Representatives.

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Multiple sources who spoke with The PUNCH pointed to moves indicating that Kalu may have resorted to seeking re-election to represent Bende Federal Constituency.

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Among the pointers was that the Deputy Speaker reportedly appeared before the APC screening committee on Sunday in Abuja, signalling his intention to retain his seat in the Green Chamber.

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The development comes weeks after a group of political stakeholders purchased the All Progressives Congress governorship expression of interest and nomination forms for Kalu, urging him to contest the Abia governorship seat.

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Presenting the forms to the Deputy Speaker in Abuja earlier this month, spokesman for the group, James Uko-Kalu (SAN), described Kalu as a bridge-builder whose performance in the National Assembly had distinguished him as a capable leader.

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Responding at the time, Kalu said he would consult widely before taking a final decision on the governorship race.

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“The purchase of this form is clearly a call for me to step forward. I have received it with gratitude, and within the next one or two days, after due consultations, I will make my position known,” he stated.

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Speaking on the latest development, a close ally of the Deputy Speaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, affirmed that Kalu had settled for a return to the National Assembly.

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“It is true that he is coming back to the House, subject to scaling the primaries and winning the election. He indeed spoke about becoming a governor, but you know, one plus one may not always be two in politics.

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“He has consulted widely, and there is a chance the people want him to continue the good works he is doing in parliament,” the source said.

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Kalu had been widely speculated to be a top challenge to Governor Alex Otti’s re-election.

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