Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has downplayed growing speculation about a possible 2027 governorship bid in Abia State, insisting that any such move would depend entirely on the decision of his party.

Speaking with journalists in his hometown of Bende, in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, Kalu stressed that his current preoccupation is delivering on his mandate at the National Assembly and addressing the needs of his constituents.

He explained that while the office of governor is significant, it is not the pinnacle of political aspiration and should not be treated as such.

It is the call from the party that will make me run if they find me worthy. Political ambition does not end with being a governor. I can fit in beyond being a governor. It is not the ultimate. I have no business being in politics except serving the people, he said.

What we face now is governance, and my mandate is to get the job done. It is not yet time to declare for anything, but it is time for governance and engaging with my people to find out their problems.

Kalu also addressed his public appeals to Abia State Governor Alex Otti to join the All Progressives Congress, arguing that Abia’s current political alignment leaves it isolated at the federal level.

I was asking him to join APC because he was one of us who strengthened the party in Abia State. His joining APC will open more doors to our people. Otti is my friend. My call for him to join the APC is borne out of sincerity of purpose, he said.

If he had heeded that call, I don’t think Abia would be disadvantaged. I am wooing him to come. But as he has refused, the party will choose somebody. I have spoken to him several times, and I meant well for him, but we cannot extend the invitation forever. I am not self-centred; otherwise, I would not be inviting him to come and take over.

On the prospect of a president of South-East extraction, Kalu urged the region to build alliances across Nigeria, saying support from other zones is essential for such a project to succeed.

He further backed stronger local government autonomy, noting that effective grassroots administration would ease the burden on state governors, and commended South-East governors for efforts to sustain peace, aligning with his Peace in South East Programme, PISE-P.