Orji Kalu wins APC ticket for Abia North Senatorial election

Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission, Orji Uzor Kalu, has emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary election for Abia North Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Abia State governor secured a decisive victory over his lone challenger, Philip Nto, during the direct primary election conducted across the five local government areas and 57 wards in the district.

According to a statement issued by Kalu’s Media Office on Monday, the former Senate Chief Whip polled 65,651 votes, while Nto secured 2,103 votes.

The result showed a victory margin of 63,548 votes in favour of Kalu.

Official figures released by the APC Primary Election Committee indicated that the senatorial district recorded 72,028 registered voters, with 69,441 accredited voters and 67,854 total votes cast during the exercise.

The statement noted that the primary election was conducted across all wards in the district and supervised by designated returning officers assigned to the various local government areas.

Announcing the result in Umuahia, Chairman of the Abia North Senatorial National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Mr Chinedu Christian Kanu, described the exercise as peaceful, transparent and credible.

He commended party members for their massive participation and praised electoral officials for ensuring a smooth process throughout the primary election.

Kalu’s victory officially clears the path for his re-election bid in the February 2027 National Assembly election.

Since joining the Senate in 2019, the lawmaker has remained one of the prominent political figures from the South-East, with projects and interventions focused on infrastructure, education, industrialisation, youth empowerment and regional development.

The statement highlighted several constituency projects facilitated by Kalu, including the construction and rehabilitation of over 160 rural roads across communities in Arochukwu, Ohafia, Isuikwuato, Umunneochi and Bende local government areas.

It also noted that solar-powered streetlights had been installed in more than 150 communities across the senatorial district to improve security and commercial activities.

According to the statement, Kalu also facilitated industrial initiatives such as cashew processing and tricycle assembly plants in Igbere, aimed at creating employment opportunities for youths and residents.

As Chairman of the South East Development Commission, the senator was also credited with helping secure a ₦140 billion budgetary allocation for infrastructure, healthcare and education projects across the South-East.

The statement further said Kalu had facilitated the construction and renovation of schools, libraries and science laboratories, while thousands of students had benefited from scholarships, bursaries and educational support programmes linked to his foundation.

It added that women, youths, artisans and farmers across the district had also benefited from grants, motorcycles, tricycles, sewing machines, generators, laptops and agricultural inputs distributed through empowerment initiatives sponsored by the senator.