Mascot Kalu Withdraws from Abia APC Governorship Race

Mascot Uzor Kalu, the younger brother of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has withdrawn from the Abia State All Progressives Congress governorship primary.

The primary is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2026.

In a letter dated May 20, 2026, and addressed to the APC National Chairman through the Abia State Chairman, Kalu said the decision followed wide consultations.

He said the choice was difficult but necessary for fairness, equity and party unity in Abia State.

Kalu said one reason for his withdrawal was the emergence of his brother, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, as the APC senatorial candidate.

He said his exit would give other aspirants room to contest the governorship ticket.

He also said Abia Central Senatorial District should be allowed to complete what he called its “eight years of power rotation”.

That argument places zoning and balance at the center of the party’s internal politics.

In Abia, rotation has long shaped how major offices are shared among the state’s three senatorial zones.

Kalu said the principle of equity should remain a guide in the party’s decisions.

Loyalty To APC

Despite stepping down, Kalu said he remains loyal to the APC.

He asked his supporters and loyalists to stay with the party and remain active in future party activities.

His withdrawal comes just before the governorship primary and may reshape the contest inside the Abia APC.

It also reduces tension around a race that had already drawn attention because of the Kalu family’s political weight in the state.

For the party, the development may help smooth the primary process, even as zoning debates continue to influence candidate choices.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, had long eyed the party’s ticket for governorship, but only recently detoured and collected a nomination form to keep his legislative seat.

Mascot’s departure now throws open the ticket, leaving it potentially to little known Henry Ikoh and Eric Opah to battle for the party’s governorship ticket.

But political observers say it may be an uphill task to go head-to-head against the popular governor of the state, Dr Alex Otti seeking reelection on the platform of the Labour Party next year.

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