The power play and battle of supremacy between the Senate Chief Whip and Senator Representing Abia North Senatorial District Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and his ex loyalist, the Chairman House Commitee on Media and member representing Bende Federal Constituency Hon Benjamin Kalu is getting a National interest with both men now battling who will outplay the other in the Tinubu’s Presidency.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu was the Governor of Abia State between 1999-2007, Hon Benjamin Kalu was one his aides who also got the opportunity to be appointed the Transition Chairman of Bende Local Government Area, although he never ate the salary of that office owing to his ambition of being a Commissioner in the state executive council, not knowing that it was a ploy to dislodge him as TC Chairman since he came to rule in the midst of elders”ndi okpu red” (story for another day)
When Senator Orji Uzor Kalu fell out with Senator Theodore Orji as the then Abia State Governor , Hon Benjamin Kalu chose to stay with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
Benjamin Kalu joined Senator Orji Uzor Kalu on his private jet to travel to several cities, states and countries of the world.
Benjamin Kalu contested for the House of Representatives under the Progressive Peoples Alliance(PPA) but lost in all his attempts to Hon Nnenna Elendu Ukeje alongside his political leader Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who was also losing his Senatorial election as at that time.
2019 General election Presented a golden opportunity for the two men who won their elections on the platform of the All Progressive Congress(APC) into the National Assembly as Senator and member of the House of Representatives .
Their Rift…
The rift between Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Hon Benjamin Kalu became a public knowledge the day Senate President Senator Ahmed Lawan visited Abia North to commission several projects executed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Hon Benjamin Kalu was conspicuously missing as it was gathered that Senator Orji Uzor refused to invite him.
On several occasions, there were claim and counter claims on who attracted some projects in Bende Local Government Area, while Senator Orji Uzor Kalu will claim to have done the attraction, Hon Benjamin Kalu will issue a counter claim of being responsible for the job.
It is to be noted that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Hon Benjamin Kalu never campaigned together through out the 2022 electioneering period.
In the build up to the Presidential primaries of the All Progressive Congress(APC) while Senator Orji Uzor Kalu openly campaigned for the north to take over from President Buhari, Hon Benjamin stood with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and at the end, Tinubu won the primaries and subsequently won the election.
Now, there is an ongoing battle of might from the two members of the National Assembly from Bende over who becomes a Presiding officer of the 10th National Assembly either in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.
While Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has maintained his Senate Presidential interest, Hon Benjamin Kalu on the other hand dropped his Speakership ambition and now said he wants to be Deputy Speaker.
At the moment, the House of Representatives members elect from Abia State has endorsed Hon Benjamin Kalu as their candidate for the Deputy Speakership while the Senators elect from the South East has also endorsed Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as their candidate for the Senate Presidential seat.
At the end, only one of them will succeed.
Who could that be?
Promise Uzoma Okoro is the immediate past Deputy Chairman of Bende Local Government Area, Abia State.
