APC Won’t Rely on Defections or Governors to Win 2027 – Orji Kalu

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on South-East Development Commission, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not depend on political defections or sitting governors to secure victory in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme anchored by Babajide Otitoju on Monday, the senator said the party’s steady rise in the South-East was the product of “consistency, sacrifice, and hard work,” not political opportunism.

Kalu, who represents Abia North, recalled being the only political leader from the South-East who joined the APC in 2016 — a decision that drew ridicule from many of his peers.

“When I joined the APC in 2016, I was the only South-East leader in the party,” he said. “People mocked me, called me names, and thought I was mad to have joined a party that had no governor or lawmaker from our region.

“But I stood my ground and kept assuring the party leadership that it would be well. In 2019, I became the first senator elected on the APC platform from the South-East, and today the story has changed. We now have APC governors, senators, and House members across the zone.”

The former Abia State governor emphasised that the APC’s strategy for 2027 would be built on grassroots mobilisation and visible performance, not political theatrics.

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“We are not relying on governors or defections to win,” he said. “We are relying on hard work. Politics is about commitment and results, not noise. We are on the ground and determined to ensure that President Tinubu and all APC candidates perform well in 2027, especially in Abia and across the South-East.”

Kalu added that the APC’s growing influence in the South-East was the result of sustained efforts to connect with the people, not short-term alliances.

Expressing optimism about President Bola Tinubu’s political prospects, Kalu predicted that the APC would record a stronger showing in the South-East during the 2027 election cycle.

“In 2019, President Buhari got over 60 per cent of the votes in my constituency, Abia North,” he said. “Tinubu didn’t do well in 2023 because we didn’t mobilise enough, but this time, we are ready. Our people are beginning to see the progress in roads and infrastructure. The President has opened up roads long abandoned, and he’s doing it.”

When asked about his long-held views on the marginalisation of the South-East, the senator offered a nuanced response, insisting that the region was “excluded” rather than marginalised since the end of the Nigerian Civil War.

“I can always tell you that the South-East is not really marginalised, but we were put out of the scheme of things since after the civil war,” Kalu explained. “I didn’t start the war, I didn’t fight in it, and I didn’t end it. What we need now is sincerity and equity so that we can all move together and develop the country.”

Commenting on the case of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Kalu urged Nigerians to allow the judiciary to handle the matter without interference.

“Nnamdi Kanu’s case is before a competent court, and it would be unfair for me to comment on his release,” he said. “Justice Omotosho is handling the matter, and we should allow the courts to do their work. Nigerians must learn to respect the judiciary.”

Kalu also expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s reform agenda, describing it as a painful but necessary path toward lasting economic recovery.

“Reforms come with the good, the bad, and the ugly,” he said. “Nigerians are feeling pain, yes, but these pains will lead to long-term gain. I’ve already sponsored a bill on social welfare and investment to reduce poverty, and I’ll meet the President to fast-track it. We must show Nigerians that we have them in our hearts.”

Highlighting ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the South-East, the senator listed the rehabilitation of major roads linking Enugu, Lokpanta, Aba, Port Harcourt, Bende, and Arochukwu, which he said were once impassable but are now being reconstructed.

“Before now, those roads were death traps. Today, they are being rebuilt,” he said. “The President is doing a lot in our region, and I’m confident that the 2026 budget will reflect even more development for our people.”

Concluding the interview, Kalu reiterated his confidence that the APC’s rise in the South-East was permanent and built on a foundation of consistency and credibility, not opportunism.

“We are building something solid,” he said. “This is not politics of noise or temporary alliances; this is about service, sincerity, and the future of our people.”

With less than two years to the next general elections, Kalu’s remarks underscore the APC’s growing confidence in its regional expansion strategy, a push that could redefine the political dynamics of the South-East come 2027.