Bende 2027: ‘We Can’t Trade Gold for Ashes’ — Umunna Bloc Urges Anyaso to Step Down for Kalu

Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Umunna bloc of Bende Federal Constituency have declared that they would not “trade gold for ashes,” urging the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the constituency, Dr. Chimaobi Anyaso, to step down and support the re-election bid of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, in the 2027 general election.

The APC chieftains made the call on Tuesday during a solidarity rally in Bende, Abia State, insisting that they could not substitute competence, capacity and legislative excellence with experimentation. They argued that Kalu has earned another mandate through his performance and should be allowed to complete a third term.

Addressing the issue of equity, former Chairman of Bende Local Government Area, Hon. Gabriel Okereke-Elendu, said there was no justification for asking Kalu, who is from the Ikwuishii bloc, to vacate the seat after two terms when the Umunna bloc had previously occupied it for 12 consecutive years through former lawmaker, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje, following the tenure of Hon. Mba Aja.

He maintained that there has never been a formal zoning or rotational arrangement for the House of Representatives seat and challenged anyone claiming otherwise to produce documentary evidence.

“When somebody comes today to talk about agreements, it baffles me. We have repeatedly asked them to produce the agreement, but nobody has produced even a sheet of paper,” he said.

Okereke-Elendu also questioned Dr. Anyaso’s position on zoning, recalling that he contested the same House of Representatives seat against Benjamin Kalu in 2019, sought the ticket again in 2023, and later emerged as the Young Progressives Party (YPP) deputy governorship candidate.

He, however, noted that if Bende stakeholders decide to adopt a rotational arrangement in the future, it should emerge through broad consultations involving traditional rulers, political leaders and stakeholders across party lines.

Also speaking, the APC candidate for Bende North State Constituency, Hon. Orji Udeagha, said the people of Bende had witnessed the tangible impact of Kalu’s representation and would not exchange proven leadership for uncertainty.

“We have seen and heard, and we cannot trade our gold for ashes,” he declared.

Udeagha added that the Umunna bloc had occupied the House of Representatives seat for 16 uninterrupted years through Hon. Mba Aja and Hon. Nnenna Ukeje, stressing that equity demands that the Ikwuishii bloc be allowed to complete a similar tenure through Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

In his remarks, Chief John Okezie of Uzuakoli urged the people of Bende to retain Kalu, noting that principal officers of the National Assembly are traditionally supported to continue in office because of the strategic advantages such positions bring to their constituencies.

He said the Deputy Speaker has delivered visible dividends through infrastructure, education, healthcare and other people-oriented projects.

Similarly, Chief Okezie Usim, Uwakwe Benson and Dr. Kalu Pascal dismissed claims of a two-term arrangement as unfounded, insisting that no agreement exists limiting the House of Representatives seat to two terms. They described Kalu as a prolific legislator whose record of performance and developmental projects has earned him another mandate.

The APC Women Leader in Bende Local Government Area, Mrs. Ijeoma Anyaele, also endorsed Kalu’s re-election, saying women and youths across the constituency have benefited significantly from his empowerment programmes, educational interventions, employment initiatives and infrastructure projects.

The stakeholders maintained that Kalu has redefined representation by combining effective lawmaking with unprecedented constituency development. They cited interventions in education, healthcare, rural electrification, agriculture, road infrastructure, youth empowerment and employment, adding that he is the first lawmaker from the constituency to attract such a broad range of federal projects.

They also disclosed that two universities have been attracted to Bende Local Government Area through the Deputy Speaker’s efforts within a single legislative tenure.

The rally ended with a unanimous endorsement of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu’s third-term bid, as the stakeholders insisted that his continued representation remains the best option for the sustained progress and development of Bende Federal Constituency.