Loading ...UMUAHIA, NIGERIA — The political battle lines for the Bende Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections have been drawn following a high-profile defection within the camp of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Ugochukwu Nwankwo, a personal assistant to the Deputy Speaker, has officially resigned his position to declare unalloyed support for the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Dr. Chimaobi Anyaso.
The structural breakdown was made public over the weekend after details of Nwankwo’s resignation letter—initially submitted on May 8, 2026—surfaced on mainstream social media networks, generating significant political ripples across Abia State’s northern political zone.
Avoiding a “Conflict of Interest”
In the official resignation correspondence addressed directly to Deputy Speaker Kalu through the National Assembly’s Human Resources and Staff Development department, Nwankwo explicitly stated that his exit was fueled by the necessity to align with his core political convictions ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“I wish to formally inform you that I have resigned my position as your personal assistant,” Nwankwo wrote. “This decision is necessary to avoid a conflict of interest, as we go into the general elections (in 2027).”
While Nwankwo expressed gratitude to the Bende-born federal lawmaker for finding him worthy to serve within his legislative cabinet, subsequent declarations by his close political associates, including civic activist Promise Okoro, confirmed that the former aide has fully thrown his weight behind Anyaso’s parliamentary bid.
“In 2027, we have decided to support Chima Anyaso,” Okoro affirmed in a coordinated social media update.
Shifting Ground Realities in Bende
Following his exit from the National Assembly infrastructure, Nwankwo launched public criticisms targeting his former principal’s operational team.
The former aide openly accused the Deputy Speaker’s media managers of operating an online echo chamber, alleging that the administration has heavily relied on dozens of falsified social media accounts to fabricate an illusion of widespread grassroots popularity in the constituency.
“The race for who represents Bende Federal Constituency has begun, and it is quite worrisome and unfortunate that the camp of my brother and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, has chosen the path of self-deceit and make-believe!” Nwankwo stated in an analytical brief. “The reality stares them in the face. Real humans in Bende have left them!”
The Battle for the Federal Seat
The political realignments follow the recent regional primary configurations where the Labour Party overwhelmingly affirmed Chimaobi Anyaso as its official consensus candidate to contest the Bende Federal Constituency seat in 2027. Anyaso, a high-profile hospitality mogul and philanthropist, enjoys substantial alignment with the political structure of the state’s incumbent Chief Executive, Governor Alex Otti.
Conversely, the Deputy Speaker, running under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is actively positioning his network to retain his legislative platform.
While Kalu’s camp recently celebrated a political win following the cross-carpeting of Otti’s National Assembly Liaison Officer, Iheanyi Chinasa, to the APC, Nwankwo’s counter-exit demonstrates that the territorial control over Bende remains highly volatile and fiercely contested by both major political factions.
