2027: I’ll campaign for Tinubu’s re-election, deliver Abia to APC — Orji Kalu

The Senator representing Abia North and former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has pledged to ensure that Abia State is won by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 governorship election.

Kalu made the declaration at Ekoli in Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State during his annual New Year visit to the Chairman of the APC in Ebonyi State, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha.

He said that although the current governor of Abia State, who is of the Labour Party, is his personal friend, party loyalty would guide his political choices in the next election cycle.

“I was expecting that in 2027, that Abia will be captured by APC. Abia will be APC. I will work for President Tinubu to win in Abia State. And I will work for any governor in APC to win in Abia. Abia will be APC with me. I have brought my heart. I will lay my heart on the field. And I will work for the APC,” Kalu said.

The former governor also advised state governors to take responsibility for securing their states rather than relying solely on President Bola Tinubu.

“When I was Abia governor, I ensured total security of lives and property. There were no cases of kidnapping, among other crimes in Abia, and this was at a period when other states were grappling with heightened insecurity. The governors should emulate Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, who has ensured adequate peace and security in the state,” he stated.

Explaining the reason for his annual New Year visit, Kalu attributed it to what he described as Okoro-Emegha’s long-standing loyalty to him.

“He is an embodiment of loyalty and is someone you can trust with your life. I raised him as a child, even when his father was alive, and he was part of the success stories I recorded as a governor,” he said.

Kalu added that he had earlier entrusted Okoro-Emegha to former Ebonyi State Governor, Senator David Umahi, with a charge of total loyalty, a principle he said had been maintained to date.

“When I handed him over to former Ebonyi governor, Sen. David Umahi, I urged him to give his principal 100 per cent loyalty, and he has transferred such virtue to the incumbent governor, Nwifuru.

“So, I’m very pleased with him. He understands what loyalty is. I gave him to David Umahi. He gave David Umahi loyalty. And David Umahi handed him to present governor Nwifuru. This man is an embodiment of loyalty. He can never disappoint anybody that trusts him.”

Kalu further recalled Okoro-Emegha’s roles as Special Adviser and Commissioner for Internal Security, attributing improvements in security in Ebonyi State to his work.

“And he knows this. He made him Special Adviser SA Internal Security and later he made him commissioner for Internal Security. And because of his trust and hard work, Stanley was made APC state chairman. Abia was the most secured area when I was governor of Abia state.

“It was the most secured state in Nigeria. I worked with him as SA on security. He knew what we did to secure Abia and that’s why I brought him to do the magic here which he did as SA and Commissioner for Internal Security and Ebonyi is secured now due to his work,” Kalu said.

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