Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North in the National Assembly, has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not depend on defections to secure victory in the 2027 presidential election, expressing confidence that President Bola Tinubu will achieve major success in the South-East.
Speaking on TVC’s News Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, Kalu, who also chairs the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission, said the APC’s growing influence in the region is a result of “consistency, sacrifice, and hard work.”
“We are not relying on defections to win. We are relying on hard work. Politics is about commitment and results, not noise,” he stated.
He affirmed that the party is firmly established in the region and determined to ensure victory for Tinubu and all APC candidates in 2027.
“We are on the ground and determined to ensure that President Tinubu and all APC candidates perform well in 2027, especially in Abia and across the South-East,” he said.
Kalu expressed strong faith in President Tinubu’s ongoing reform agenda, describing it as a painful but necessary step toward national growth.
“Reforms come with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Nigerians are feeling pains, yes, but these pains will lead to long-term gains.
“I have already sponsored a bill on social welfare and investment to reduce poverty, and will meet the President to fast-track it. We must show Nigerians that we have them in our hearts,” he added.
Highlighting the federal government’s investments in South-East infrastructure, the senator mentioned key road projects connecting Enugu, Lokpanta, Aba, Port Harcourt, Bende, and Arochukwu.
“Before now, those roads were impassable. Today, they are being rebuilt. The President is doing a lot in our region, and I am confident that the 2026 budget will reflect even more development for our people,” Kalu noted.
Recounting his political journey, the former Abia State governor said he was the first prominent South-East leader to join the APC in 2016, at a time when the party had no representation in the region.
“When I joined the APC in 2016, I was the only South-East leader in the party. People mocked me, called me names, and thought I was mad to have joined a party that had no governor or lawmaker from our region,” he said.
“But I stood my ground and kept assuring the party leadership that it would be well. In 2019, I became the first senator elected on the APC platform from the South-East, and today the story has changed. We now have APC governors, senators, and House members across the zone.”
Kalu maintained that the APC will focus on performance rather than defections to consolidate its support ahead of 2027.
“In 2019, President Buhari got over 60% of the votes in my constituency, Abia North. Tinubu didn’t do well in 2023 in the southeast, but this time, we are ready. Our people are beginning to see the progress in roads and infrastructure. The President has opened up roads long abandoned, and he is doing more,” he stated.
Speaking on regional equity, the senator noted that while the South-East has long felt sidelined, the focus should now be on fairness and national development.
“I can always tell you that the South-East is not really marginalised, but we were put out of the scheme of things since after the civil war. I didn’t start the war, I didn’t fight in it, nor did I end it. What we need is sincerity and equity so that we can all move together and develop the country,” Kalu explained.
On the case of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Kalu called for respect for judicial processes.
“Nnamdi Kanu’s case is before a competent court, and it would be unfair for me to comment on his release. Justice Omotosho is handling the matter, and we should allow the courts to do their work. Nigerians must learn to respect the judiciary,” he concluded.
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