The Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has risen in support of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu for calling on Governor Alex Otti to return to the ruling party at the centre.

This is just as the State Executive Council of the party vowed to suspend one Okey Ezeala for parading himself as the APC Publicity Secretary in Abia and issuing an unauthorized statement on behalf of the EXCO.

The Abia APC Chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu who made the position of the party known in a statement on Saturday, insisted that the state chapter of the party was solidly behind Kalu and reiterated the call on Otti to return to its folds.

He described Ezeala as an inconsistent character who engages in anti-party activities and unauthorised utterances.

Ononogbu disclosed that the state exco will be summoning Ezeala who apologised to the State Governor on behalf of the party to explain when he became the spokesperson of Abia APC and who authorized him.

According to him, Ezeala’s role as the publicity secretary of the party ended the day he bought a form to contest for the position of the State House of Assembly in the 2023 election, saying that, in line with the rules, he is supposed to relinquish his role.

While disclosing that the name of the publicity secretary of the party in the state will be announced soon, Ononogbu enjoined members of APC in Abia to remain calm as the State Executive Committee was handling the matter, while they should be more united and firm in supporting the Deputy Speaker as well as working hard to win more souls for the party and take over government in Abia, come 2027.

The statement reads: “We came across news report where one Okey Ezeala ‘apologised’ to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, claiming he was apologizing for the bold invitation extended by one of our party leaders, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu to the Abia Governor to join APC.

“Okey Ezeala’s apology is unauthorised, fake, unsolicited, hypocritical, and smacks of bitterness and disrespect for the person and office of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu. Ezeala claimed he was apologizing on behalf of the APC.

“Numerous APC stalwarts have risen to align themselves with Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu in his invitation to Gov. Otti.

“We therefore resolve to make it abundantly clear that we stand with our leader, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu on this call and equally put our voice to calling on Governor Otti to return home.

“Ezeala claiming to be the publicity secretary of the party in the state when he’s not is an act of impersonation.

“He will be summoned by the party in the coming days to offer explanations on when he was appointed the party’s spokesperson.

“As we urge our party members to ensure membership of the party grows, we firmly stand with the call by the Deputy Speaker on Gov. Otti.”

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