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Abia, S’East: In defence of Benjamin Kalu
By Ben Benson-Okoli Esq
Succinctly put, politics is about power, influence and control. In his treatise, “Prince,” Niccolo Machiavelli argued that politics is about acquisition, maintenance and exercise of power though he sees deceit, violence and manipulation as part of the methods politicians often employ.
Aristotle was even more emphatic. To him, it is the art and science of running a state. In a broader sense, it is about contestation for ideas and power.
It was this contestation and the geo-political imbalances in our polity that threw us into the convulsions that consumed over three million lives and left the remainder gasping for breath and survival. It was for that reason that after 13 years of suffering the consequences of trying to save the Igbo people from what he called slavery that the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Ezeigbo gburugburu) threw himself into the arena to push them into the centre of governance.
This strategic move was undertaken by him because the Triple “Rs” put in place by Yakubu Gowon, the Head of State, who prosecuted the Biafran war had not worked, his vision then, being to align his people to the centre, utilising a strong regional base.
That was the basis of Ojukwu joining the then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In his own words: “I joined NPN to bring the Igbos into the mainstream of Nigeria’s politics, since I was the one that pulled them out in the first place.”
Today, the same lot seems to have fallen on another illustrious Igbo son – no doubt with the same consequences of being misrepresented or misinterpreted – The Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu. Recall that fresh from exile, Ojukwu had sought to represent Ndigbo at the Senate but lost out.
It was not that he lost, not the least to little-known, Edwin Onwudiwe, but a clear scrutiny of that outcome showed that contrary to the claim that it was the machination of the then big wigs in the NPN who didn’t want him at the Senate for obvious reasons, it was actually his people that were used to scuttle the ambition.
In other words, it was not an Alhaji Musa that manned and superintended the polling units, but either Mr Okoro, Mr Okonkwo or Mr Okeke. So, it was a conspiracy of his own people – a war from home and a war we must defeat to progress.
The next big opportunity to reintegrate Ndigbo into the mainstream is here once again. This captures the advocacy and current efforts of Kalu. The emergence of this deep thinker and conscious mind at this time in our history, therefore does not seem ordinary, but rather a divine intervention. Given the shortcomings we have suffered as a people and circumstances of the birth of the biblical Benjamin, the Deputy Speaker will seem a divine gift. His political career, his antecedents, how his paths were cleared and the sweatless journey to becoming the leader of his people against all odds, bear eloquent testimony to the unseen hands behind the man with grace.
Clearly, the man carries grace, and like they say, woe betide him that fights a man with grace. Even with all that, nothing has troubled our polity in the recent time more than the uproar, controversy and furore raised by the seeming competition and contestation between Kalu and Alex Otti, Governor of his home state, Abia.
No doubt the governor has achieved some appreciable milestones but the Deputy Speaker stands out, even at that as the man behind the mask. As a great student of Napoleon Bonaparte, he is a firm believer that politics of diplomacy and robust engagement is the best way to recover lost grounds and shortest route to the reintegration that his people yearn.
If you consider all he has achieved, including the Peace in the South East Project (PISE-P), the South East Development Commission (SEDC) and the many Federal Government’s unusual presences in the South East, you will agree that this transformational leader has out- performed all the leaders who came before him put together in terms of bringing the dividends of democracy to his people.
Again, one of the demonstrable indications of this model of political engagement is his work to secure freedom for Nnamdi Kanu and restore peace in the region. Yes, he may not have carried placards nor appeared on the gallery like others but like Bonaparte, he daily works behind the scene to persuade President Tinubu to have MNK delivered to him and other Igbo leaders. This is sure to happen.
Regrettably, rather than lend our support to this brilliant mind, many of us have by our actions and inactions, made his job a lot difficult. The insinuation that the highest-ranking Igbo man in our national politics is in competition with anybody in the South East, including his Governor, is the purest example of the ejiri mara (trademark) politics of our people, and which must be rejected.
This is the reason the recent diatribe credited to the governor, which is aimed at this political icon ought to be considered as most unfair thing to say the least. BOK is very deliberate in his vision, focus and actions, which is reflected in the attention South East is now attracting from the federal authorities unlike in the past when it was totally ignored in the scheme of things.
What then is the sin of BOK? Is it in insisting and truthfully so, that his productivity would be greater and his negotiating strength stronger with his base overwhelmingly behind him?
The impression that BOK wants to remove the Governor that he has helped and still helping to develop Abia State by the huge resources that he is attracting is quite unfortunate, because neither the impression nor the sentiment is correct.
Incidentally, this false alarmist thinking may have gained traction, given that this is the first time that the state is enjoying the dividend of democracy since its creation.
Sadly, the governor seems to be leveraging on the ignorance and the weakness of the people to demand the reversal of roles, notwithstanding the established hierarchy that donates that position to BOK. For instance, the manner in which a statement BOK made in the closet before his kinsmen, has been magnified, misinterpreted and taken to the market place to depict him as the enemy of the state despite attracting infrastructure, projects and appointments more than any other leader, living or dead.
Indeed, it is regrettable that while Kalu is celebrated nationally and internationally, attempts are being made to undermine him in his own base. God forbid! Yes, Otti has awakened a new dawn but it must be said that there is one illustrious son that has the magic wand that must be acknowledged as well. Ndi Abia need this leader, Otti needs him even the more, to smoothen his path to greatness and greater Abia. The conversation must now shift to whether it won’t be to the collective good to give Abia to BOK, the critical support he requires to penetrate the Federal Government even the more.
In closing, like Napoleon Bonaparte 1786-1821, the French emperor and General whose victories over Australia and Russia singled him out and made him the master of Europe, what BOK is telling his people is – it is my design to lead you into the fertile plains of the world…….. There, you will find honour, glory and wealth. That journey may have begun since June 13, 2023, when the lot fell on him to lead his people.
Now is not only the time to think, but time to act!
Benson-Okoli, is a journalist and lawyer. He writes from Abuja via benchinee@yahoo.com
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, secured the nod of the House of Representatives to borrow $516,333,700 million in syndicated financing from Deutsche Bank AG.
The approval was consequent upon the presentation of a report by Abdullahi Rasheed, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Aids, Loans, and Debts Management, who said that the loan is expected to fund the construction of sections of the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway.
Tinubu in a letter to the National Assembly, last week, seeking the $516.3 million loan from Deutsche Bank to support the construction of the road, had said the facility, to be sourced from a syndicated financing facility, would fund sections 1, 1A, and 1B of the project, which covers about 120 kilometres.
Tinubu requested a resolution in line with Sections 16 and 21 of the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act, 2011, to enable the Federal Government to secure the financing for Sections 1, Phase 1A, and Phase 1B of the project.
The project is a flagship initiative of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is targeted at enhancing national connectivity, improving the movement of goods across key economic corridors, and drastically shrinking travel time.
The 1,000-kilometre road will link Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, connecting Illela in the northwestern state to Badagry.
According to him, the financing arrangement will be backed by a partial risk guarantee from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).
He said the Federal Government will provide counterpart funding of over ₦265 billion for land acquisition, compensation, and related infrastructure.
The former Lagos governor said the loan is structured for nine years and includes a three-year grace period.
It has an interest rate pegged at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange SOFR plus 5.3 per cent per annum.
Already, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Nigeria’s apex decision-making and advisory body to the president on policy, has approved the financing plan.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has denied reports that it is selling scrap materials, equipment, or components from its refineries to individuals and private companies.
A Friday statement titled ‘Fraudulent Claims on Sale of Refinery Scrap and Equipment’ issued by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, in Abuja, described the circulating reports as misleading and false.
“The Company wishes to categorically state that this information is untrue. NNPC Limited has not issued any request for bids, tenders, expressions of interest, or approvals for the sale of scrap materials, refinery components, or any items from the warehouses or inventories of any of its refineries”.
It also distanced itself from persons reportedly presenting themselves as the company’s representatives or agents, claiming to facilitate the sale of so-called “scrap metals” or refinery equipment.
“These individuals are not authorised by NNPC Limited and are attempting to mislead members of the public.”
The Company therefore advised the public, corporate organisations, and industry stakeholders to disregard any such claims or solicitations and to exercise caution in dealing with anyone making such representations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, NNPC Limited is not conducting, nor has it authorised, any sale of scrap metals, equipment, or refinery components from any of its facilities”, the statement added, saying that any legitimate disposal of assets by NNPC Limited will only be conducted through established and transparent processes, publicly communicated through the Company’s official channels and in accordance with applicable regulations.
“Members of the public who encounter individuals or entities making such claims are encouraged to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
“NNPC Limited remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of national energy assets”, the statement added.
“Disorder cannot be rebranded as authenticity simply because it occurs in public. The allegations regarding judicial interference are equally speculative and irresponsible,” were the words with which the Presidency, pushed back on Saturday to the allegation suppression of democracy in Nigeria by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Sunday Dare, spokesman to President Bola in a quick riposte after the ADC’s National Legislators Serving and Former Forum criticised President Bola Tinubu over remarks describing the convention as “noise and a street convention,” dismissed the coalition party as suffering from internal disarray.
Ukeje, on the heels of the ADC national convention recently at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja, despite a last-minute alleged attempt to block the gathering had argued that Nigeria is at a critical democratic juncture and accused the administration of shrinking political space.
The group also referenced Tinubu’s past as an opposition leader who once advocated political pluralism and judicial independence, saying his current leadership posture appears inconsistent with those democratic values.
Dare, who described the ADC as a party struggling to maintain “coherence and balance” in a statement titled: ‘WHAT’S THAT NOISE! Response to Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje and the ADC Forum of National Legislators- Nigeria’s latest bunch of conspiracy theorists,’ wrote: “Even before the official commencement of the election season and before the Polls open, the “opposition”, a hurriedly stitched together contraption in search of a launch pad are screaming blue murder.
“The script is familiar: attack and blackmail the President, discredit and second guess the electoral process and hold Press briefings to flaunt unsubstantiated allegations and lies against the administration.
“All of these so that the international community will “help” them. In Honorable Nnenna, the ADC legislators found someone fit for the role. As former chair, foreign affairs committee, 7th and 8th House of Representatives she was their best voice.
“Sadly, ADC will need more than the sophistry and phonetics in her delivery. Let’s begin to tear apart her claims and that of her ADC Forum. The so-called ADC National Legislators Coalition delivered an outing remarkably full of theatrics but expectedly short on substance, restraint, and constitutional fidelity.
“What Nigerians just witnessed from the ADC motley crowed is not a principled defense of democracy, but a calculated attempt to weaponize rhetoric, manufacture outrage, and distract from internal disarray within a political party struggling to maintain coherence and balance. Ironically, the ADC press conference began on a note of truth.
“In their own words, they painstakingly chronicled the democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—his historic role in strengthening opposition politics, expanding democratic space, defending pluralism, and standing firm even under military and authoritarian pressures.
“They reminded Nigerians that he mobilized resistance, nurtured political contestation, and remained a central pillar in sustaining democratic governance.
“On that point, they were correct and that is because they could not change that solid democratic foundation and narrative of President Bola Tinubu. Let’s give them some acknowledgement for stating it plainly.
“But having established those facts, they took a curious turn—attempting, without evidence, to portray the very same individual as a threat to the democratic values he has consistently upheld.
“That contradiction is not just weak—it is intellectually untenable. A leader’s record is not a switch that flips overnight. The same discipline, convictions, and democratic instincts that defined President Tinubu’s political journey have not suddenly evaporated.
“You cannot spend the first half of a press conference affirming a man’s lifelong commitment to democracy, and the second half alleging—without proof—that he has abandoned it. It simply does not hold.
“On the specific issue that triggered this reaction: the President did not mention the ADC—by name or by implication. His remarks were general, as is consistent with his style as a national leader addressing a broad audience.”
Dare noted that the decision by the ADC to assume those remarks were directed at them is, at best, an exercise in self-indictment. If the description of “noise” resonates, perhaps the issue is not with the statement—but with the conduct it reflects.
“This is not a matter of suppression; it is a matter of standards. Democracy thrives on competition, yes—but it also demands organization, coherence, and credibility. Disorder cannot be rebranded as authenticity simply because it occurs in public. The allegations regarding judicial interference are equally speculative and irresponsible.
“Nigeria’s judiciary remains constitutionally independent, and no amount of conjecture can substitute for evidence. Attempting to cast doubt on the integrity of the courts based on political disagreements is a dangerous path—one that weakens institutions rather than protects them.”
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