House Spokesman Wins in Bende Federal Constituency

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu has brushed aside opponents to win the 2023 National Assembly poll for Bende Federal Constituency.

Kalu, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner in the poll result announced on Sunday by the Returning Officer, Chidinma Adindu.

He scored 10, 020 votes out of the 22, 308 votes cast to secure his second term mandate, beating his closest rival, Chief Frank Chinasa of Labour Party, who polled 6,818 votes out of the total 22,308 votes cast.

Former member of the Green Chamber,  Hon Nnenna Ukeje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 3,930 votes to place third. Ukeje had represented Bende for three terms but lost the ticket for a fourth term bid in 2015.

In 2023 she got the ticket for a return to the House of Representatives but her bid for a fourth term has been truncated by the incumbent, who had succeeded her in 2019.

The candidates of other political parties that participated in the contest did not make strong showing as ADC got 90 votes,  APGA – 301, APN – 184, APP – 72,  NNPP – 60, SDP – 17 and, YPP – 10