Bye-Election: How PDP Humiliated Orji Kalu In Aba; Stakeholders Slam Him |The Source

By Charles Igbo

The Leader of the APC in  Abia State, a former two-time Governor, and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu was,  on Saturday, March 27, 2021, humiliated at the Bye-election into the Aba South/Aba North Federal Constituency.

Even though his younger brother, Mascot Orji-Uzor Kalu, a former Chief of Staff to former Governor of the State, now Senator Theodore Orji, was the candidate, yet it was Senator Kalu’s show. He was the ultimate loser.

The battle for the Federal seat was between Kalu  and the PDP, as represented by its candidate, Chimobi Ebisike.

For those who have been following Senator Kalu’s pronouncements on Abia politics in recent times, his humiliation at the polls on Saturday would come as a surprise. It would, however, not be a surprise to those who followed the emergence of his younger brother, Mascot,  as APC candidate, that the PDP candidate defeated him by a wide margin.

Many APC stakeholders in the State, especially, in the Federal Constituency which Bye-election was conducted,  were against the candidacy of Mascot. They said there was no Primary. They said he was forced on them by his brother, Senator Kalu. They asked why both Senator and House of Representatives member would come from same family, same parents.

A high profile member of the party in the State, who is from Aba, Prince Paul Ikonne, Executive Secretary, National  Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA, was so upset that he  issued a statement saying that the APC had no candidate in the Bye-election. He called on the people to vote for any credible candidate who has a stake in Aba.

Ikonne, also, accused Senator Orji Kalu of taking the people for a ride. “Our mumu don do”, he said, wondering why another Uzor-Kalu should represent the people.

Are they the only owners of Aba, others asked?

The APC entered the race a divided house, against a PDP which is still very popular in the State, especially, in Aba, inspite of  Senator Kalu’s boasts that the State has become APC, and would take over the Governorship seat in 2023.

In fairness to Kalu, he has made a couple of big catches for the APC in the state, including the recent shocking and inexplicable declaration for the APC, by former Chief of Army Staff, Major General  Onyeabo Ihejirika, as well as former banker, Dr Alex Otti.

Yet the APC was trounced in Aba.

Declaring the PDP candidate winner, the Returning Officer, INEC, said he, Ebisike polled a total of 10,322 votes to defeat APC’s Mascot Uzor-Kalu who polled 3, 674 votes. The candidates of the other parties, including APGA, were mere “also ran”.

APC Stakeholders in Aba, blame Senator Orji Kalu for the loss.