By Our Correspondent

Incumbent Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has emerged victorious in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election, clinching the party’s ticket for the 2027 general elections with a commanding margin over his lone challenger, Philip Nto.

The direct primary election, conducted on Monday across the five local government areas and fifty seven wards of Abia North Senatorial District, recorded massive participation by party members and ended in a sweeping victory for the former Senate Chief Whip, who polled 65,651 votes to defeat Philip Nto, who secured 2,103 votes.

The result showed a staggering victory margin of 63,548 votes in favour of Kalu.

Details of the results announced by the Party’s returning officer assigned to the Senatorial district released by the APC Primary Election Committee showed that the exercise covered all 57 wards across the senatorial district.

According to the official figures announced at the collation centre in Umuahia:
Total number of wards: 57
Total number of registered voters: 72,028
Total accredited voters: 69,441
Total votes cast: 67,854
Votes scored by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu: 65,651
Votes scored by Philip Nto: 2,103

The primary election was supervised by designated returning officers who presented their results from across the various local government areas, including Comrade Chisom Eneogwe Christopher for Isuikwuato LGA, Chima Okorie for Ohafia LGA, Hon. Tony Mezie Nwubani for Bende LGA, Enyioma Ekebuike for Umunneochi LGA, while Wilson Chukwuma Eze served at the Arochukwu collation centre.

Announcing the results on Monday in Umuahia, Chairman of the Abia North Senatorial National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Mr. Chinedu Christian Kanu, confirmed that the exercise was successfully conducted across the district in a peaceful, transparent, and credible manner.

He noted that APC members turned out massively to participate in the direct primary process aimed at electing candidates that would fly the party’s flag in the 2027 general elections.

According to him, Senator Kalu secured a landslide victory after polling the overwhelming majority of valid votes cast during the exercise.

Kanu commended party members, stakeholders, and electoral officials for maintaining order and ensuring a smooth conduct of the primaries, stressing that the committee upheld fairness, transparency, and credibility throughout the process.

Kalu’s victory now clears the path for his re-election bid ahead of the February 2027 National Assembly elections.

Since his election into the Senate in 2019, Kalu has remained one of the most prominent lawmakers from the South-East, with his legislative and constituency interventions largely centred on infrastructure development, education, industrialisation, youth empowerment, and regional economic growth.

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatization and Chairman of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), the former Abia State governor has also played strategic roles in attracting federal projects and investments to the South-East region.

Across Abia North Senatorial District, Kalu has facilitated the construction and rehabilitation of more than 160 rural roads linking communities in Arochukwu, Ohafia, Isuikwuato, Umunneochi, and Bende Local Government Areas.

The road projects have reportedly improved transportation, expanded access to rural markets, and reduced post-harvest losses for farmers in agrarian communities.

In the area of rural electrification and security, solar-powered street lights have been installed in over 150 communities across the district, boosting commercial activities and improving security in affected areas.

Kalu has also championed industrial and economic initiatives within the zone, including the establishment of cashew processing and tricycle assembly plants in Igbere, creating employment opportunities for youths and local residents.

His office also facilitated investments in renewable energy, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors aimed at stimulating economic activities across the region.

Under his leadership at the South East Development Commission, the commission secured a ₦140 billion budgetary allocation targeted at critical infrastructure, healthcare, and education projects across the South-East geopolitical zone.

Education has also remained a major pillar of his constituency interventions, with the senator facilitating the construction and renovation of schools, classroom blocks, libraries, and science laboratories across Abia North.

Thousands of students have equally benefited from scholarships, bursaries, educational materials, and sponsorship programmes facilitated through initiatives linked to his foundation.

On empowerment, the senator has distributed grants, tricycles, motorcycles, sewing machines, generators, laptops, and agricultural inputs to women, youths, artisans, and farmers across the district as part of efforts aimed at promoting self-reliance and reducing unemployment.

By Our Correspondent

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Kano North Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The affirmation exercise took place at the APC headquarters in Bichi Local Government Area, amid thousands of party members drawn from the 13 local government areas that make up the Kano North Senatorial District.

Also present were officials from the national headquarters of the APC and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At exactly 2:20 p.m., the Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee for the Kano North Senatorial Primary Election, Hon. Shehu Isa Direba, asked party members to affirm Senator Barau as the APC candidate for the district. A thunderous chorus of “Yes” from the crowd followed it.

Similarly, the Chairman of the APC National Assembly Primary Elections Committee for Kano State, Hon. Musa Yahaya, also sought the endorsement of party members, who unanimously affirmed Senator Barau as the party’s candidate for the January 16 National Assembly election.

Speaking after the exercise, the leader of the INEC monitoring team, Mr Abdulrahman Haruna, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful and orderly conduct of the process.

In his remarks, Kano State Governor, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf, commended the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Murtala Sule Garo, the governor expressed confidence that the people of Kano North would overwhelmingly vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Abba, Senator Barau, and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

“We are happy. Kano North is for APC at all times. We are one family in APC. Insha Allah, before noon on election day, Senator Barau will secure his seat, while President Tinubu and all our candidates will emerge victorious,” he said, while praying for peaceful elections in 2027.

Responding, Senator Barau thanked party members for their confidence in him through their overwhelming support and assured them of continued effective representation.

“Let me begin by thanking Almighty Allah for making my nomination possible. I also wish to appreciate the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership of the APC and the nation at large. He is doing extremely well, and we cannot thank him enough.

“I also thank our hardworking Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for the remarkable work he is doing to reposition Kano State. He is working tirelessly to actualise his vision for the state. I hope together with his deputy, Murtala Sule Garo, he will bring tremendous development to our state, Kano,” he said.

Senator Barau urged the people of Kano State to vote all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.

“Please, let us not waver in our support for Mr President. President Tinubu means well for Northern Nigeria and is doing extremely well for us. We should not be distracted by unnecessary criticisms.

“Let us come out en masse and vote for the APC at all levels. By doing so, we will continue to enjoy the benefits and developmental projects coming from the federal, state, and local governments,” he said.

By Our Correspondent

President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has been named the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.

Sequel to his nomination on Monday, Senator Lawan expressed gratitude to the APC’s national and state leadership, Yobe State Governor, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Mai Mala Buni, and the Minister of Police Affairs, His Excellency Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, CON.

He noted that the district’s stakeholders affirmed his candidacy after clearance by the party’s national leadership.

In a statement by his Media Adviser,Israel Tabiow,
Lawan underscored that Nigeria is undergoing courageous transformation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,citing a resurgence of economic reform and infrastructure revitalization.

He acknowledged the administration’s resolve in taking difficult but essential steps to reposition the economy for sustainable growth.

“Through the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are seeing consequential investments in student loans, consumer credit, and agricultural revitalization that directly address the needs of our people.

“It is therefore imperative that I return to the Senate as an active partner in progress, working closely with President Tinubu’s administration to ensure Yobe North, Yobe State, and the North East are fully carried along in this national rebirth,” Senator Lawan stated.

Outlining his 2027 vision, the lawmaker pledged a Yobe North integrated into the digital economy, with youth equipped with market-ready skills and global opportunities, and farmers supported to transition from subsistence to commercial agribusiness.

He called for a peaceful, issue-based political season and assured constituents of sustained democratic dividends under the APC.