KEY POINTS

• Abia APC alleges that Labour Party agents disrupted a community function in Bende to embarrass President Bola Tinubu and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
• The party claims the disruption was part of an earlier plot involving agents of the Abia State Government.
• APC predicts that Tinubu will win 85 per cent of votes cast in Abia in the 2027 general election.
• Political competition is building in Bende, where Kalu and Labour Party’s Chima Anyaso are prominent contenders for the House of Representatives seat.

MAIN STORY

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia has accused agents of the Labour Party (LP) of disrupting a community function attended by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Benjamin Kalu, in an alleged attempt to embarrass President Bola Tinubu.

The party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr Uche Aguoru, made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday, saying the incident occurred during a gathering hosted by the people of Item in Bende Local Government Area.

Aguoru said Kalu attended the event as Tinubu’s representative but was interrupted by individuals he described as sponsored participants who allegedly disrupted his address.

He claimed the incident was intended to undermine Kalu’s political standing and embarrass the President through the disruption of a community engagement.

THE ISSUES

Aguoru further alleged that the party had received intelligence about an earlier plan involving agents of the Abia State Government to embarrass Tinubu and Kalu during the event.

He said the APC initially dismissed the information, believing that the President’s popularity among Abia residents would prevent such an incident.

The spokesman attributed what he described as Tinubu’s growing acceptance in the state to federal projects, political appointments and employment opportunities.

He also credited Kalu’s leadership and grassroots mobilisation with strengthening the APC’s support in Abia and the wider South-East.

Aguoru maintained that the alleged disruption would not damage the relationship between the President and the Deputy Speaker.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

“No amount of blackmail, intimidation or orchestrated hostility can weaken the relationship between Tinubu and Kalu,” Aguoru said.

He urged those allegedly sponsoring political disruptions to abandon intimidation and embrace democratic engagement, tolerance and peaceful competition.

WHAT’S NEXT

Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, Aguoru expressed confidence that Tinubu would secure 85 per cent of votes cast in Abia.

He also predicted that Kalu would defeat the Labour Party candidate in Bende by a wide margin, while the APC would win all three senatorial districts, eight House of Representatives seats and 24 state assembly constituencies.

The spokesman further predicted that Dr Eric Opah would be inaugurated as governor of Abia on May 29, 2027.

NAN reports that political competition is intensifying in Bende Federal Constituency ahead of the election, with Kalu of the APC and Chima Anyaso of the Labour Party among the prominent contenders for the House of Representatives seat.

BOTTOM LINE

The allegations highlight rising political tension in Bende ahead of the 2027 elections. However, the claims of a planned disruption and the involvement of Labour Party or government agents remain allegations made by the APC, not independently established facts.