Abia North Aspirant Charles Kalu Promises Wealth-Creation Drive Ahead of 2027 Senate Race

A Labour Party senatorial aspirant for Abia North, Chief Engr Dr Charles Emeka Kalu, said he intends to run a wealth-creation agenda across the district if elected in 2027, arguing that the area needs direct economic intervention alongside legislative representation.

Kalu, a United States-based electrical engineer and businessman, spoke at his hometown in Bende, Abia State, where he outlined a plan he said would target all five local government areas in the district. He said his proposal would support artisans, traders and farmers through structured access to empowerment funds and monitored disbursements.

The aspirant said he wants his tenure, if successful, to move beyond routine lawmaking. In his remarks, he presented poverty reduction as a central campaign issue and linked his strategy to transparent fund use and measurable outcomes at community level.

“I’m not a fan of people who come to do one thing or the other because of election. Apart from lawmaking, I want empower my people. I want create millionaires across the five LGAs of Abia North. I have done it in other areas outside Nigeria.

“Whatever funding that comes to us for the empowerment of our people will be given to them. Every LGA would bring their list; we’ll share the funds equally, ensuring that they invest the funds properly in various businesses. We’ll also create mechanised agriculture as well as quantum exposure to international businesses.”

He said his model would avoid giving out tricycles and motorcycles as a default intervention, insisting that cash-backed enterprise support and production-focused schemes are more useful for long-term income growth.

“We’re not going to buy Keke (tricycles) or Okada (motorcycles) to anybody; that’s not empowerment as far as I’m concerned. What we’ll do is to mobilise artisans, business people, bring up mechanised agriculture etc and give them the money in cash to infuse into their businesses.”

Kalu also said his proposed approach would include monitoring after disbursement to reduce misuse of funds. He said allocations linked to Abia North should be publicly trackable and that ward structures would be involved in drawing up beneficiary lists.

“The time you give that person that money which also the Abia governor, Alex Otti is currently doing, he uses it for his business; mind you, we’ll also monitor them. Every fund from the National Assembly for the Abia North will be accounted for.

“We’ll be transparent in all our dealings. We’re not going to do the old thing or any dirty business that they do. We’ll open a Whatsapp platform and no amount accruing from the National Assembly will be left unaccounted for. Every Ward in the district will bring its own list for the financial empowerment.”

The aspirant maintained that the district has experienced sustained economic hardship and said his campaign message is built around household-level improvement in income, skills and access to opportunity.

“With this, before we complete four years, we would have built millionaires in the whole of Abia North Senatorial district. We’ll also invest in human capital development to develop our people academically and mentally. We’ll do all these because our people have suffered since the advent of democracy in 1999 and we want to intervene this time around”, he declared.

On political experience, Kalu said he is not new to Nigeria’s political environment and described his ambition as an effort to correct what he called past governance failures in the district. He cited activities under the Emeka Charles Kalu (ECK) Foundation, saying the organisation currently supports more than 400 students and also assists with medical bills for residents.

“Not only school fees payment, we pay hospital bills of many of our people and this is why in Bende LGA today, ECK is a household name. I have worked with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. I was the person that formed the phrase “Atikulated”, a phrase that was fused around Atiku Abubakar.”

Kalu also praised Governor Alex Otti, saying he supports the governor’s direction and believes the administration has improved perceptions of governance in the state.

“Like I worked for Atiku, I’ll also work for our visionary and God fearing governor, Dr Alex Otti. This is because he has done so well. This is a man God has brought to reposition Abia; a man that has the interest of masses at heart. Before now, I was ashamed to say I’m from Abia State.

“God has sent him to clean up the mess in Abia and that’s why I’m following him like a sheep follow its shepherd. If there’s anything like ruling Abia forever, I’ll support him to rule Abia forever”, he said.

The 2027 Abia North contest is still in its early phase, but Kalu’s statement adds to emerging positioning by aspirants seeking to frame campaigns around cost-of-living pressure, local enterprise support and accountable use of public empowerment funds.