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The emergence of Rt. Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly did not come as a surprise, given his pedigree as a lawyer and politician with an articulate legislative style and consensus building approach.
From the Federal Government College, Owerri to the University of Calabar, where he studied Law and played an active role as a student union leader, Kalu equipped himself with the relevant academic background for leadership. Driven by a desire to master corporate governance, he later earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom.
Before his emergence as a member of the House of Representatives, he built an impressive political and administrative profile, demonstrating a strong capacity for executive and grassroots leadership. Within a short time, he became one of the most influential political figures from Nigeria’s South-East region.
At a remarkably young age of 31, Kalu was appointed Chairman of Bende Local Government Area, one of the largest councils in Abia State. His administrative competence caught the attention of the state government, leading to his appointment as the Senior Special Assistant on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to the Governor of Abia State.
He was later appointed as the Senior Special Assistant on Millennium Development Goals, where he successfully coordinated international development partnerships, health interventions, and poverty alleviation programmes across Abia State.
Transitioning briefly into the private sector and international relations, he relocated to South Africa, where he managed a successful legal and business consultancy, and was elected as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in South Africa.
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In 2019, he contested and won the election to represent Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Although a first time lawmaker in the 9th National Assembly, Kalu made history by being appointed as the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, acting as the official Spokesperson of the House of Representatives.
In this high profile role, he modernised the communication architecture of the green chamber by introducing regular, transparent press briefings. In the 2023 general election, he secured a decisive re-election to represent the Bende Federal Constituency again.
When the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated in June 2023, he emerged unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He also serves as the Co-chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, where he has aggressively pushed for crucial amendments, including state policing frameworks and local government autonomy.
Kalu also championed and successfully facilitated the passage of the historic South-East Development Commission Bill through the House to rebuild infrastructure and spur economic growth in the region.
As a lawmaker, he is credited with the feat of sponsoring no fewer than 90 landmark bills in the National Assembly, which address key governance and developmental needs. He has also sponsored constituency projects in the areas of road rehabilitation, education and health, among others, facilitating the establishment of medical centres, solar-powered boreholes for clean water access, and building classroom blocks across various wards in Bende.
In his empowerment programmes, he has consistently organised agricultural and agribusiness training, alongside financial grants to widows, youth, and small business owners.
Beyond core lawmaking, he launched the Peace in South-East Project (PISE-P), a major non-kinetic initiative aimed at restoring peace and economic stability to the region through infrastructure development and youth empowerment.
For his result-oriented style of representation and novel approach to leadership, Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu is the winner of The Most Innovative Legislator Award 2026.
