— Camp denies signing MoU, alleges forgery
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — The third-term ambition of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has run into fresh controversy as traditional rulers in Bende, Abia State, insist on a 2019 power-rotation agreement that his campaign organisation has dismissed as a forgery.
More than 27 traditional rulers from communities across Bende Federal Constituency reaffirmed the purported Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a meeting in Igbere on Friday, while Kalu’s campaign Director-General, Rev. Emmanuel Trumps Eke, denied that he or his principal signed the document.
The monarchs said the agreement was designed to promote equitable representation and peaceful coexistence between the Umunna and Ikwu-Isii blocs.
According to the document presented to journalists, the House of Representatives seat would rotate between Bende North (Umunna) and Bende South (Ikwu-Isii), with each bloc entitled to two consecutive four-year terms.
The arrangement, which took effect from the 2019 electoral cycle, gave Ikwu-Isii the first opportunity, followed by Umunna.
Reading the document, HRH Eze Ebiri Oteri Okoro of Ohumola Autonomous Community, Igbere, said the pact remained relevant to political stability and fairness in the constituency.
Article 3 provides that the seat “shall rotate equitably” between the two blocs, while Article 4 stipulates that Ikwu-Isii would go first, after which the opportunity would pass to Umunna.
The document, however, recognises the constitutional right of qualified citizens to contest elections and the right of voters to choose their representatives.
Camp disowns document
Reacting, Eke described the MoU as “false and an outright fabrication”, alleging inconsistencies in its dates, contents and signatures.
He questioned why two documents purportedly relating to the same agreement bore the dates January 19 and February 4, 2019.
He further alleged that the first page was lifted from a letter he and Kalu wrote to Bende stakeholders in 2019 seeking their support, but that its original contents had been removed and replaced.
Eke also claimed that Eze Onuoha Akaliro, Eze Jerry Akpala Igwe and Eze Patrick Ude told him they neither signed nor witnessed the document.
He maintained that no agreement on tenure or political rotation had been reached between Kalu and any group, arguing that zoning should be discussed by Bende political stakeholders, including the Bende Political Forum.
He urged the public to verify documents before circulating them, warning that anyone found to have forged or knowingly circulated a forged document could face legal consequences.
How MoU emerged — Ukaegbu
One of the signatories and Deputy Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Uwakwe Ukaegbu, said the agreement was reached in 2019 following opposition to what he described as Umunna’s prolonged occupation of the federal constituency seat.
He said tensions arose when former representative, Hon. Nnenna Ujaeje, sought a fourth term, prompting Ikwu-Isii stakeholders to demand a fairer arrangement.
According to him, Kalu, who was then aspiring to represent the constituency from Ikwu-Isii, welcomed the agreement and pledged to relinquish the seat after two terms if elected.
Ukaegbu said the document was made public to counter claims that no such agreement existed, insisting that the arrangement was necessary to promote fairness and political stability.
Another monarch, HRM Eze Joseph Ukoha Anyanta, urged politicians to honour the pact, describing it as an instrument for building trust between the two blocs rather than targeting any individual.
Umunna comprises Item, Igbere, Alayi and Ugwueke/Ezeukwu communities, while Ikwu-Isii comprises Bende, Itumbuzo, Umuhu-Ezechi, Ozuitem, Uzuakoli and Umuimenyi/Nkpa communities.
The monarchs named as signatories included Eze Jerry Akpala Igwe and Eze Uwakwe Ukaegbu for Umunna, and Eze Patrick Ude and Eze J.O. Akaliro for Ikwu-Isii.
The dispute has added to the political contest ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Kalu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dr Chima Anyaso of the Labour Party emerging as prominent contenders for the Bende Federal Constituency seat.
