2027: We Won’t Replace Experience with Experiment – Bende Tells Anyaso

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Umunna bloc of Bende Federal Constituency have urged the Labour Party (LP) House of Representatives candidate, Dr. Chimaobi Anyaso, to step aside and support the re-election of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, declaring that the people of Bende would not replace “experience with experiment” in the 2027 general election.

The position was unanimously adopted today at a solidarity rally in Bende, Abia State, where party leaders, stakeholders and supporters endorsed Kalu’s bid for a third term, describing him as a tested leader whose performance has transformed the constituency.

Leading the charge, the APC candidate for Bende North State Constituency, Hon. Orji Udeagha, said Bende people had witnessed the impact of Kalu’s leadership and had no reason to abandon a proven performer for what he described as political experimentation.

“We cannot replace experience with experiment. We cannot substitute the man with the gavel with a green horn. We have seen quality representation, and we will not trade our gold for ashes,” Udeagha declared.

He argued that equity also favours Kalu’s re-election, noting that the Umunna bloc previously held the House of Representatives seat for 16 consecutive years through the late Hon. Mba Aja and former lawmaker, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje. According to him, fairness demands that the Ikwuishii bloc be allowed to complete a similar tenure through the Deputy Speaker.

Former Chairman of Bende Local Government Area, Hon. Gabriel Okereke-Elendu, dismissed claims that an agreement exists restricting the House of Representatives seat to two terms.

According to him, no zoning or rotational arrangement has ever governed the seat, challenging those making such claims 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 further questioned Anyaso’s current position, recalling that he contested the same seat against Benjamin Kalu in 2019, sought the ticket again in 2023 and later became the Young Progressives Party (YPP) deputy governorship candidate.

He, however, maintained that should Bende stakeholders decide to adopt a zoning arrangement in the future, such a decision must emerge through broad consultations involving traditional rulers, political leaders and stakeholders across party lines.

Also speaking, Chief John Okezie of Uzuakoli said the constituency should not sacrifice the strategic advantage of producing the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, noting that principal officers of the National Assembly are often retained because of the enormous benefits they attract to their constituencies.

He credited Kalu with delivering landmark projects in education, healthcare, road infrastructure, agriculture, youth empowerment and rural development, saying his record has surpassed previous representations.

Chief Okezie Usim, Uwakwe Benson and Dr. Kalu Pascal also rejected calls for a change in representation, insisting there is no existing agreement limiting the office to two terms. They described Kalu as an outstanding legislator whose achievements have earned him another mandate.

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

The stakeholders further highlighted Kalu’s legislative accomplishments and constituency projects, including interventions in education, healthcare, rural electrification, agriculture, roads and youth development. They also noted that two universities had been attracted to Bende Local Government Area through his efforts within a single legislative tenure, describing the feat as unprecedented.

The rally featured a unanimous endorsement of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu for a third term, as the APC stakeholders insisted that continuity in his leadership offers the best prospect for sustained growth and development in Bende Federal Constituency.