No individual owns APC, not even Tinubu – Deputy Speaker

By John Ogunsemore

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not owned by anyone, not even President Bola Tinubu.

Kalu, who is the APC leader in Abia, said this on Wednesday in Umuahia while addressing the party’s stakeholders during its ward congress in the state.

The Deputy Speaker harped on the need for party members to embrace unity and cohesion to ensure its success in the 2027 general election, emphasising that the APC belongs to all its members.

He enjoined all members to key into the party’s efforts to “build a united front, anchored on discipline, inclusion, and purpose”.

Abia APC had rescheduled its Ward and Local Government congresses for February 25 and February 26 after resolving its internal conflict.

Kalu said the decision to hold unified congresses was made after discussions among the party’s highest governing bodies, including the National Executive Committee and the National Caucus.

This decision, he said, was to strengthen unity and reduce internal tensions before upcoming elections.

“Instead of holding parallel congresses that might exacerbate divisions, the party leadership decided that a single, inclusive process would best maintain unity within the party,” he said.

Kalu affirmed that President Tinubu, whom he called a devoted democrat, was insistent that party structures reflect collective ownership rather than individual control.

He said, “The president stated unequivocally that the caucus and NEC’s decisions were final and could not be changed by any one person or organisation.

“The National Working Committee was activated and congress committees were reorganised to conform to the established framework as a result of disagreements that surfaced during the earlier phases of the congress planning, which prompted new intervention by the party’s national leadership.

“Party stakeholders across wards, local governments, and the state are expected to reach consensus on leadership positions under the harmonisation model, ensuring that all interests are represented.”