Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has issued a strong warning against electoral manipulation, declaring that his group will not rig elections but will not allow anyone to rig them out either.
Kalu made the statement amid growing political tension in Abia State, where supporters openly rejected President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election appeal and repeatedly declared their support for former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
The development unfolded at the Etem Okpi Cultural Festival in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, which falls within Kalu’s constituency.
Kalu mounted the stage before a large gathering and urged residents to vote for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. He described the President as the best candidate for Nigeria, insisting that Tinubu had remembered the South East and Bende in particular.
The Deputy Speaker also reminded the people of promised development projects, including a university, and challenged them to consider whether they wanted such development in their community.
However, the crowd appeared to have a different political preference, responding with loud and repeated chants of Obi and Kererenke Obi.
The reaction became even more noticeable when Kalu attempted to lead the crowd in an APC campaign song, only for the chants in support of Peter Obi to grow louder.
Kalu subsequently suggested that some of those chanting were not from Etem, apparently questioning the source of the opposition within the gathering.
In another dramatic moment, a woman took the microphone and began chanting Kererenke, with the crowd responding enthusiastically with Obi.
The woman, identified as Chinyere from Edda in Ebonyi State, is popularly known as the Obi Kererenke Woman and has earned the nickname Singing Goddess because of her energetic political songs and public support for Peter Obi.
Chinyere has reportedly attracted attention for openly campaigning for Obi, even at an APC rally in Aba where Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu was also present.
Her fearless political expression has drawn comparisons with Professor Nnenna Oti, while videos of her singing and publicly welcoming Peter Obi on stage have continued to attract attention on social media.
Videos from the Item Okpi Cultural Festival, particularly the moment residents repeatedly chanted Obi in response to Kalu’s appeal for Tinubu, have also circulated widely online.
The festival moment has generated fresh conversations about political loyalties in the South East and the challenges facing efforts to secure widespread support for Tinubu’s re-election bid in the region.
Kalu, a strong advocate of Tinubu’s second-term ambition, has continued to push for strategic political alignment in the South East ahead of the 2027 elections.
His warning against electoral rigging has also attracted attention, particularly his declaration that anybody planning to rig should write their will.
The unfolding events highlight the political contest ahead, as competing supporters of Tinubu and Peter Obi continue to make their positions known across the South East.
