It is both shameful and deeply disturbing to observe how Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, has chosen to descend into political recklessness by brazenly exploiting the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his own selfish ambitions in Abia State. What he calls “grassroots empowerment” under the guise of inaugurating Renewed Hope Partners (RHP) is, in reality, a deceitful and illegal early campaign for the 2027 gubernatorial election. The people of Abia are not deceived. They know that Kalu’s showmanship is not service but self-promotion.
Kalu’s weekend declaration that he was “strengthening the grassroots pillars of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda” in Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Ugwunagbo, Osisioma, and Obingwa is misleading and false. None of the so-called projects he listed—the South East Development Commission, the ₦150 billion South East Investment Company, or the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri rail line—were initiated by him, nor are they within his legislative competence. These are federal policies and initiatives driven by President Tinubu’s cabinet and relevant ministries, not by a self-appointed local campaigner.
The people of Abia can now see through the smokescreen. His rented crowds and microphone-testing rallies have become a source of public irritation. Communities are growing weary of the noise, the traffic disruption, and the thuggery that follow his convoys. Rather than contribute meaningfully to governance or policy formulation in Abuja, where his office truly matters, he has chosen to roam Abia like a frustrated showman—disloyal, ungrateful, unlawful, and unbridled.
As a committed steward of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a believer in the progressive ideals of discipline, responsibility, and respect for law and order, I find Hon. Kalu’s conduct disgraceful. The Electoral Act clearly prohibits campaign activities before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declares the season open. Yet, a lawmaker who should be the custodian of legal compliance is the one leading the charge in violating it. This flagrant disregard for the law is both arrogant and hypocritical.
Even more disturbing is the way Kalu has taken his old South African habits to new heights of mass hypnotism and hysteria—roaming around Abia State with a magical rented crowd, using the presidency as his magic wand. Each of his so-called political crusades follows the same pattern: the same buses, the same borrowed faces, and the same exaggerated proclamations of loyalty to President Tinubu. But we in APC Abia do not like that. We reject this brand of political deceit that disrespects both the President and the party.
The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu is not a personal trademark for any politician to abuse. It is a national project designed to stimulate economic growth, expand industrial capacity, and restore hope to the Nigerian people. By turning it into a campaign slogan for self-glorification, Kalu has insulted the integrity of the President’s vision and created confusion among the public. The presidency must not be dragged into such lowly propaganda.
Hon. Kalu should be reminded that power is not a personal possession. His office demands restraint, dignity, and respect for the rule of law. To arrogate to himself the role of the President’s envoy in Abia is to insult the intelligence of both the party and the people. His conduct is not only premature and unlawful but also capable of inflaming tensions in a state that has enjoyed relative peace under its current leadership.
The APC leadership must act decisively to restore order and discipline within its ranks in Abia. Hon. Kalu’s reckless politicking, his unlawful rallies, and his false claims of presidential endorsement are injurious to the unity and stability of the party. Abia deserves better—leaders who lead by example, not entertainers parading hired crowds.
Power is a trust, not a trophy. Hon. Ben Kalu must return to Abuja, focus on his legislative duties, and stop disgracing the presidency he falsely claims to represent. The peace and integrity of Abia State must not be sacrificed on the altar of one man’s delusion.