Unity call: APC lifts sanctions on Kalu, Nkwonta

The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) has withdrawn an ultimatum against Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Honourable Chris Nkwonta.

The decision came at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Sunday at the party secretariat in Umuahia. Leaders chose to set past grievances aside as the party looks towards the 2027 general elections.

Earlier the State Working Committee had given the two lawmakers 14 days to apologise. It accused them of anti-party remarks after they appeared to back Labour Party Governor Alex Otti for a second term. The committee described the comments as “unstatesmanlike, irresponsible, embarrassing and inimical” to the party’s unity and prospects in the state.

Kalu had said in a national television interview that Otti would win the 2027 governorship race. Nkwonta was reported to have stated, in the presence of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, that he would vote for the governor.

State Chairman Chijioke Chukwu addressed the meeting and said: “What the stakeholders today are waiting for me to address is the issue of our leader, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Right Hon. Chris Nkwonta, who the party, in their wisdom, met at the State Working Committee level and gave an ultimatum for them to withdraw statements they made, which the State Working Committee and a few party co-leaders met and felt that those utterances constitute what we refer to as anti-party activity.

“We have listened to them privately, not publicly, because they are leaders, and they have reached out to us, and we have found out that they have reason for going the way they went, not that they want to bring the party down, but they felt that things were not properly done in a manner that was satisfactory to them.

“For those situations, because those decisions were taken using the proper apparatus of the party, that is the State Working Committee, the State Working Committee has only two options – either to sit down and review the situation and be able to issue statements that will reflect our current position, or ask the stakeholders and party members to move a motion, adopt that motion, and revise that decision.”

He added: “The second option we have chosen is so that the public will know that we are not withdrawing what was perceived as undemocratic and threats to our leaders, but that we wanted to maintain the sanctity, supremacy, and authority of the party.

“So that second decision is what we will do because they have reached out to us, explained to us that these utterances were not made in good faith.”

APC candidate for Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Uzor Azubuike, moved the motion for unconditional pardon. He said the step was needed to keep all members united for the party’s benefit.