The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday inaugurated its Presidential Campaign Council for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The inauguration, held at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, drew party leaders, candidates and stakeholders from across the state, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; the APC governorship candidate, Chief Eric Opah; the party’s candidate for Abia Central Senatorial District, Emeka Atuma; and the candidate for Isiala Ngwa North/South Federal Constituency, Chief Uzoma Ihuka, among others.
In his remarks, the State Deputy Chairman of the party, Chinedu Ihesiulo, said the APC in Abia had been repositioned and was ready for the election.
He commended Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu for his role in strengthening the party in the state, noting that there was no longer any dull moment in its activities.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Philip Nto said the occasion called for reflection on where the party started, where it is now, and where it is headed.
Nto recalled that he first heard of the APC in 2019, at a time when, according to him, many Abia people felt excluded from Nigeria. He argued that the emergence of Kalu as Deputy Speaker had changed the narrative, adding that the Deputy Speaker was responsible for attracting about 70 per cent of those in the party today.
He also credited Kalu with attracting two federal institutions and the South East Development Commission to the state.
Nto said President Tinubu had given the South East two strategic appointments in the offices of the Chief of Air Staff and the Minister of Works, both of which he described as vibrant. He noted the establishment of an Air Force Base in Abia and the ongoing construction of federal roads under the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi.
He listed the removal of fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira, tax reforms and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) among the major decisions of the Tinubu administration, noting that previous administrations borrowed to fund infrastructure. According to him, NELFUND has eased the burden of school fees on students and parents.
“If Tinubu has done all these, why won’t we vote for him?” Nto asked. He assured the President that Abia would deliver 70 per cent of its votes in 2027, having done well with the support he received in 2023.
The event also featured goodwill messages from stakeholders across the senatorial districts and party organs, all pledging support for Tinubu and other APC candidates.
Speaking on behalf of Abia North, Madukwe Ukaegbu felicitated with the candidates of the party and expressed delight that the zone had produced some of its finest leaders. He urged Abia Central and Abia South to emulate Abia North, which he said was returning Kalu, Senator Orji Kalu and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, while also supporting all candidates of the party.
For Abia Central, Chief Henry Ikoh said the party must match its words with action. He said a President who had done so much deserved re-election, and called for total support for all APC candidates, declaring that Abia was 100 per cent APC.
Similarly, Dr. Nyerere Ayim, who spoke for Abia South, recalled that the APC began in Abia South in 2013 and had since grown to become a dominant force in the state. He assured the President of a resounding victory in the zone and urged supporters to extend the same support to all APC candidates.
Contributing, the APC Woman Leader, Deaconess Cecilia Erondu, said women in the state would vote massively for Tinubu and all candidates of the party, while the Youth Leader, Chief Okey Gberemako, said the youths would deliver the President because he had done enough for Abia and the South East.
In a notable show of cross-party support, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Abraham Amah, said the PDP was in total support of Tinubu’s re-election. He said no organisation could win alone, adding that the APC in Abia needed other parties to succeed, and stressed the need for equity.
Also speaking, the member representing Bende South State Constituency, Emmanuel Ndubuisi, said the President had done well and deserved re-election, assuring that grassroots mobilisers would work hard to deliver all candidates of the party.
The APC candidate for Aba North/South Federal Constituency, Uzo Azubuike, said the President had given the state enough reason to vote for him, adding that the party would return the President and all its candidates.
In his remarks, Atuma described Tinubu as a great and courageous leader, citing subsidy removal, interventions in Abia and the refund for federal projects executed by the state.
He described Tinubu’s re-election as non-negotiable and commended Kalu for uniting the party, assuring that Abia Central would deliver the President by 12 noon on election day.
On her part, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment and APC candidate for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, expressed optimism that Tinubu would win, saying the party would work for his emergence and that of other candidates of the party.
