A university don, Professor Nmecha Ndukwe, has described Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as the strongest political asset of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, stressing that the party’s chances in the 2027 elections largely depend on his influence and structures.
Ndukwe, in his assessment of Abia politics, said that despite APC’s poor performance in the 2023 elections due to internal divisions, voting patterns clearly revealed Kalu’s strength at the grassroots.
According to him, out of the over 9,000 votes polled by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abia, about 60 percent came from Kalu’s ward in Igbere.
“If only one man can give 60% of the total votes cast in a state and from his own ward , one can imagine what would happen if he is given the full backing to lead the party in the state during election. In 2023, he didn’t appear in the party rally held in Umuahia and I am sure he would do that in 2027. Kalu has the capacity to win the state for APC because he is very popular. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu remains the face of APC in Abia. His loyal supporters and political structures are unmatched in the state. If APC wants to make any meaningful impact in 2027, it must rally behind him,” the don stated.
He noted that many Abians still admire Kalu for the development projects he executed as governor from 1999 to 2007, which earned him the nickname “Action Governor” from former President Olusegun Obasanjo. These included free education, renovation of over 800 schools, improvement of healthcare facilities, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, and massive road construction in Umuahia and Aba. Farmers also benefited from agricultural support, while his backing of Enyimba FC led to the club’s CAF Champions League triumphs in 2003 and 2004.
As Senator representing Abia North, Ndukwe added, Kalu has continued to deliver constituency projects such as roads, schools, scholarships, solar lights, boreholes, hospitals, and processing centers. He also played a key role as Senate Chief Whip in ensuring that projects for Abia North were captured in the 2025 federal budget.
The don further highlighted Kalu’s efforts in uniting and sustaining the APC in Abia through his OUK Movement and Reality Organization, which he said have become the strongest grassroots political platforms in the state.
“With his record of service, popularity, and political structures, Senator Kalu is without doubt APC’s strongest pillar in Abia. The road to 2027 for the party in the state and even the South East runs through him,” Professor Ndukwe concluded.
