The All Progressives Congress (APC), Abia State Chapter, has thrown its weight behind the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over his latest feedback on governance and accountability within the state.
The get together mentioned Mr Kalu’s remarks have been rooted in information and patriotic concern for the state’s improvement, opposite to the political assaults and misinterpretations that adopted.
In a press assertion signed by Uche Egboka, the appearing publicity secretary of the get together, the Abia APC expressed concern over what it described as “rising rigidity and unwarranted mudslinging” towards the deputy speaker.
The get together famous that his speech through the commissioning of roads in Aba on 3 October, and his subsequent engagement at Abia Inns, Umuahia, on 5 October, had sparked useless controversy from people who most popular political bickering to constructive engagement on governance points.
Mr Kalu, in his remarks, had referred to as for better transparency, accountability, and efficient administration of public funds by the Labour Social gathering-led administration within the state.
The APC mentioned it was regrettable that as an alternative of addressing the substance of these points, some political actors had resorted to private assaults on the Deputy Speaker.
What led to the showdown
The strain started when Mr Kalu, whereas addressing members of the Renewed Hope Companions (RHP) in Umuahia on Sunday, declared that the APC was heading in the right direction to take over energy in Abia State in 2027.
He mentioned the administration of the state governor, Alex Otti, had underperformed regardless of what he described as elevated income inflows.
In response, Mr Otti’s media aide launched a press release titled “Governance in Abia, Benjamin Kalu Wants Tutorials Extra Than He Wants a Microphone,” accusing the deputy speaker of ignorance and political grandstanding.
Mr Kalu’s workplace, nonetheless, maintained that his remarks have been based mostly on information contained in official monetary paperwork of the Abia State Authorities.
He cited information displaying that between April and June 2025, the state allegedly obtained a mean of ₦38 billion month-to-month and warned that the amount of ongoing authorities tasks didn’t match the size of income. He additionally questioned the ₦54 billion reportedly spent on renovating 51 public faculties in 2024, demanding accountability.
Mr Kalu additional declared that the APC would wrest Abia State from LP in 2027, which heightened the political undertone of his critique.
In that response, the federal government argued that the correct complete allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), together with native governments between January and August 2025, was ₦125 billion, contradicting Mr Kalu’s declare of month-to-month inflows of ₦38 billion (which, if true, would complete ₦304 billion over eight months).
It additionally cautioned that nominal will increase in income don’t equate to elevated fiscal energy, citing trade charge depreciation and inflation as components that erode actual worth.
APC’s place
It’s towards this backdrop that the Abia APC reaffirmed its assist for transparency, accountability, and good governance, stressing that, based mostly on verifiable information, the Abia State Authorities obtained a mean of ₦38 billion month-to-month between April and June 2025 as complete income.
In response to the get together, the amount of ongoing tasks within the state doesn’t justify the over ₦1 trillion mentioned to have accrued to the federal government because the starting of the current administration. It argued that residents have a proper to demand correct utilisation of public sources, particularly when the state continues to wrestle with poor infrastructure, unpaid gratuities, and incomplete improvement tasks.
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On the difficulty of schooling spending, the APC referred to as for an impartial investigation into the ₦54 billion allegedly spent on the renovation of 51 public faculties in 2024, describing the determine as questionable.
“The Social gathering calls for an investigation into the N54 billion allegedly spent on the renovation of 51 public faculties in 2024, which has remained a topic of controversy up to now.”
The get together additionally lent its voice to problems with employees’ welfare, backing the deputy speaker’s name for the fee of excellent gratuities and pensions, in addition to the implementation of the brand new nationwide minimal wage as authorised by the Federal Authorities.
Reaffirming its political resolve, the Abia APC restated its dedication to aligning with the federal authorities to advertise good governance, accountability, and the welfare of all Abians.
