Top APC figure cautions against risky backing of governor candidate in Abia state

A stark warning has been issued by Chief Agwu Emeaba, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia, regarding an impending implosion within the party, stemming from the alleged "divisive endorsement" of a governorship aspirant for the 2027 election by certain stakeholders.

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This warning was conveyed in a statement released in Umuahia on Sunday, in which Emeaba contended that the endorsement of an aspirant without affording others a fair chance in an open contest could irreparably harm the party's electoral prospects.

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Emeaba specifically cited the endorsement of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, for the 2027 Abia governorship race, as an example of the party "walking into the 2027 cycle with an early but dangerous tension for a possible implosion".

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He argued that this action by some APC stakeholders has served to exacerbate existing divisions within the Abia APC, further widening the cracks that already existed.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that APC stakeholders from Abia's three senatorial districts had recently convened in Umuahia to endorse Kalu for the governorship ticket.

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Emeaba pointed out that this endorsement has sidelined two other aspirants, namely Chief Mascot Kalu, a businessman, and Chief Henry Ikoh, an industrialist and former Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

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Emeaba posed a critical question, noting that the issue at hand is not whether Benjamin Kalu has achieved national visibility, but rather whether he is the suitable candidate to lead a party still striving to establish itself in Abia.

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He further alleged that numerous party stalwarts are disgruntled due to the deputy speaker's failure to involve Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu and the two other governorship hopefuls in his meetings, consultations, and congresses.

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Emeaba lamented that the deputy speaker's actions demonstrate a form of "political amnesia", which, if left unchecked, could undermine the party's strength rather than build it.

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He emphasized that the party stalwarts he referred to are individuals who had previously mentored and supported the deputy speaker, helping to lay the groundwork for his current political standing.

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Emeaba urged the State Working Committee of the party to intervene promptly in order to prevent the party from plummeting into a deeper crisis.

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He suggested that if the party seeks a candidate who can unify the APC family and reduce internal conflict, Mascot Uzor Kalu remains a stronger political contender, or alternatively, if it prefers a businessman with industrial credibility and a productivity-oriented message, Chief Henry Ikoh is equally a better fit.

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Emeaba cautioned that the Abia APC must avoid entrusting its future to a standard bearer who may satisfy personal ambitions in the short term, but ultimately destroy the party's prospects in the long run.

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Mascot Kalu has since rejected the endorsement of the deputy speaker for the APC governorship ticket in 2027, stating in a reaction that any consensus arrangement orchestrated without the participation of all aspirants is "illegitimate, unacceptable, and null and void, ab initio".

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Kalu declared that any such imposition would be met with "stiff and unequivocal resistance".