The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Nigeria, Benjamin Kalu, has stated that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not owned by any individual, including President Bola Tinubu.
Kalu, who serves as the APC leader in Abia State, made the remarks on Wednesday in Umuahia while addressing party stakeholders during the ward congress.
He emphasised the need for unity and cohesion among members to position the party for success in the 2027 general elections, stressing that the APC belongs to all its members. He urged party faithful to align with efforts aimed at building “a united front anchored on discipline, inclusion, and purpose.”
The Abia APC had earlier rescheduled its ward and local government congresses to February 25 and 26 following the resolution of internal disputes. Kalu explained that the decision to conduct unified congresses was reached after consultations among the party’s highest decision-making organs, including the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Caucus.
According to him, the move was intended to strengthen internal unity and ease tensions ahead of forthcoming elections.
“Instead of holding parallel congresses that could worsen divisions, the party leadership resolved that a single, inclusive process would best preserve unity within the party,” he said.
Kalu further noted that President Tinubu, whom he described as a committed democrat, insisted that party structures must reflect collective ownership rather than personal control.
“The president stated unequivocally that the decisions of the caucus and NEC were final and could not be altered by any individual or group,” he added.
He explained that following disagreements that arose during the earlier stages of congress planning, the party’s national leadership intervened by activating the National Working Committee and reorganising congress committees to align with the agreed framework.
