Deputy Speaker Kalu Receives PDP’s Chris Igwe, 13,000 Supporters to APC

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has officially welcomed prominent businessman and former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Chris Odinaka Igwe, into the All Progressives Congress (APC), along with over 13,000 supporters.

At a well-attended political rally held in Isiochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, Kalu hailed the defection as a significant milestone for the APC in the South East.

Chief Igwe, popularly known as “Chris Nak”, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mainland Oil and Gas Limited and was previously an influential member of the PDP. 

His defection to the APC comes with a massive political base; members of the Chris Odinaka Igwe Friends Club (CFC), which includes 27 PDP Ward Chairmen who have now collapsed their political structures into the APC.

The defectors cited Kalu’s rising political profile and impactful legislative contributions, especially his role in the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), as their major motivation for joining the ruling party.

Welcoming Igwe and his followers, Kalu said: “Chief Chris Igwe and I have been friends for a long time. We were together in politics before, even when we belonged to different parties. I admire his sincerity and deep love for his people. He’s a man of integrity, a successful businessman, and someone who gives generously to his community.”

The Deputy Speaker, accompanied by the Abia State APC Chairman, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, handed over the symbolic broom of the APC to the new entrants, declaring them members of the Renewed Hope Partners (RHP), a grassroots mobilization structure launched to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 reelection campaign.

Kalu added: “Chief Chris is already comfortable in his private life, but he made this decision for his people—to bring them into mainstream national politics. 

“The people of Umunneochi will surely reap the benefits of this alignment. Today, 13,000 members of CFC have joined the APC. The broom is not even enough to go round, and that shows how eager the people of Isiochi are to be part of this movement.”

The rally concluded with widespread celebration as party leaders, community members, and new APC faithful reaffirmed their commitment to the party’s agenda and the leadership of Rt. Hon. Kalu.