No Single Individual Owns APC, Not Even Tinubu – Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu Declares

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Benjamin Kalu, has declared that no individual, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, can claim ownership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).Speaking on Wednesday in Umuahia during the party's ward congress in Abia State, Kalu emphasised that the APC belongs to all its members and not to any single person.Kalu, who serves as the APC leader in Abia State, made the remarks while addressing stakeholders at the congress. He called for unity and cohesion among party members as they prepare for the 2027 general elections.According to the Deputy Speaker, the party's current focus is to eliminate internal divisions and build a united front anchored on discipline, inclusion, and purpose.The ward congress, originally scheduled earlier, was rescheduled to February 25 and 26 following the resolution of internal conflicts within the party. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the party had affirmed its commitment to unity, expansion, and preparation for the 2027 elections.Kalu explained that the previous congress was cancelled because multiple forms were being used in the state, contrary to the directive of the national leadership. The leadership then decided to conduct a harmonisation congress to strengthen party cohesion."It is nothing else but a congress of harmonisation," Kalu stated. "And harmonisation is where stakeholders are given a sense of belonging in deciding who will lead from their ward to their local government, as well as the state."He further stressed that the process was designed to ensure that no single individual owns the party, quoting President Tinubu himself. "That is the vision of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When I met with him, he said, I can't even say my party, I like saying our party," Kalu recounted.In his remarks, the Chairman of the Congress Committee, Emmanuel Goar, promised a peaceful and transparent congress. Goar, a former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly and former member of the House of Representatives, urged stakeholders to cooperate with the committee.He noted that the national committee would work with the state committee to conduct the "congress of harmonisation" as agreed by the people.Forms were subsequently distributed for the conduct of the congress across the 184 wards in Abia State. The party is also scheduled to hold its Local Government congress on Thursday, February 26.