Abia APC Inaugurates 618-Member Presidential Campaign Council as PDP Declares Support for Tinubu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has inaugurated a 618-member Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections, with the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announcing that it is adopting President Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate.
The inauguration, held on Thursday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, marked the formal take-off of the party’s campaign structure ahead of the next presidential election.
Kalu Describes Inauguration as a Call to Public Duty
Inaugurating the campaign council, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said President Tinubu had chosen the members to work with him, describing the assignment as evidence of the President’s determination to make Nigeria a great nation.
“This is a call to public duty and a defining moment for the country. Tinubu chose a difficult path to reform Nigeria. I can see him in the coming dispensation. He will win,” Kalu said.
The Deputy Speaker emphasised the strategic importance of the South-East in national politics, saying the region must build alliances across the Niger to remain relevant. “We must come together and shake hands across the Niger to remain relevant. Wrong calculation will take us backwards; right calculation will take us forward,” he stated.
He described the President as the platform for Ndigbo to be sustained and called for him to be allowed to complete his eight years in office so that he can finish the reforms he has started. Kalu also charged members of the campaign council to remain united in purpose and focused on the task ahead.
Abia PDP Adopts Tinubu for 2027
In a significant political development, the PDP in Abia State announced that it was throwing its weight behind the re-election of President Tinubu. The party’s deputy governorship candidate, Abraham Amah, made the declaration at the event.
“I want to make it very clear that we are in total support of the re-election of President Ahmed Tinubu. We are mindful of the fact that he has done very well,” Amah said.
He explained that no organisation can achieve success alone, noting that the partnership between the two parties would enhance what they are able to secure for Abia State and make it easier for the President to consider appointments for leaders from the state.
State APC Chairman Hails New Dawn
The Coordinator of the Campaign Council and APC state chairman, Chijioke Chukwu, described the occasion as a new dawn, saying the party had come together for a common purpose.
Chukwu noted that party members in the state had previously been divided among themselves but were now united. He thanked Kalu for coordinating the party in the state and President Tinubu for giving him a job, stating that “the task ahead is challenging but very easy.”
He stressed the need to deliver the President in the 2027 presidential election to give Abia State greater bargaining power. Chukwu also appealed to Kalu to use his relationship with the President to fill the vacancy in the Federal Executive Council following the resignation of Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as a minister.
He urged the President to fill the position with a bona fide APC member, adding that “the slot in the Federal Character Commission is an embarrassment to us.”
Key Takeaways
The inauguration of the 618-member campaign council signals the APC’s early preparations for the 2027 presidential election in Abia State. The event also highlighted the growing political realignment in the state, with the PDP publicly declaring support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The calls for the President to complete his eight-year tenure and for the South-East to build strategic alliances underscore the region’s push for greater political relevance. Meanwhile, the appeal to fill the vacant ministerial position with an APC member reflects the state’s desire for stronger representation in the Federal Executive Council.
