Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the aegis of the Progressives League of APC Youth Voters, have called for disciplinary action against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over alleged anti-party activities.
They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to call Kalu to order in the interest of the party’s unity in Abia State.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the group, Usman Shuaibu, expressed their concern about leaders of the APC engaging in anti-party activities, openly criticising a committed party flagbearer who worked diligently to ensure the party’s victory in the last general elections.
In his statement, Usman Shuaibu said, “The most recent issue is the sponsored campaign of calumny against Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who carried the party’s flag in the February 25, 2023 National Assembly elections for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State. She currently serves as the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment (State) in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is no longer a secret that Honourable Nkeiruka, our party’s flagbearer, had her victory contested by the Labour Party in Abia State, where they employed unethical means during the Presidential and National Assembly elections against the APC.
Some APC groups raised the alarm and called for the restoration of her mandate, which she vigorously pursued at the tribunal and won.
“Since her victory at the tribunal, which is the ultimate triumph of the APC in Abia State, some highly placed individuals in the National Assembly have launched a campaign of calumny against her, using obscure organizations to discredit Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and the APC in an attempt to pressure her to relinquish her victory at the Appeal Court.
“We have identified the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Benjamin Kalu, as the sponsor of the campaign to discredit Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha. Benjamin Kalu appears to view the victory of the Honourable Minister as a political threat rather than a blessing.
“Kalu has become so desperate that he has resorted to using the name and office of President Bola Ahmed to defame the Honourable Minister, who is currently focused on her national duties.
“Kalu has gone to great lengths to set even the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and other highly placed members of the party against her. Whenever he fails in his attempts to create controversy where there is none, he devises new harmful schemes to undermine Nkeiruka.
“We are concerned. Why should the victory of the APC and Hon. Onyejeocha in Abia State be a source of nightmares for Benjamin Kalu? Is there more to this than he is letting on to the APC or his political associates?
“We are aware of how some highly placed individuals who benefited from the APC worked against the party in the last presidential elections, using religion and tribal sentiments to reduce our party’s winning votes.
Emphasising the implications of such a campaign against committed APC members, Shaibu stated that it could affect the party’s success in the 2027 general elections.
“We recommend disciplinary action against the Deputy Speaker, Mr Benjamin Kalu, and his accomplices to serve as a deterrent to others who may engage in such dangerous anti-party activities in the future.
“We call on the National Chairman of our great party, His Excellency (Dr) Abdullahi Umar Ganduje CON, who is reconciling and repositioning the party for a better future, to immediately call Mr Benjamin Kalu to order before he completely undermines the party in Abia State.
“Kalu is not from Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, nor is he a member of the Labour Party. One wonders what his problem is with Nkeiruka’s victory and the APC. This proves that some members of the party are engaged in anti-party activities to thwart the APC from being declared the winner of the House of Representatives election in Abia State.
“We also call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to call the Deputy Speaker to order because the APC is one united family, a united force that will lead us to victory in 2027.
“And if this campaign of calumny continues, we shall have no option but to occupy the National Assembly and demand the resignation of the Deputy Speaker. This action will persist until we achieve our demands. The APC belongs to all of us, and we will continue to uphold its supremacy,” he added.
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