Stability Strategy:Why Akpabio, Tajudeen, Barau, and Kalu May Retain Their Seats to Complete Ongoing Initiatives

By James Nwachukwu

When the 11th National Assembly convenes in June 2027, the individuals leading the Senate and the House of Representatives are likely to be recognizable.

A quiet consensus is forming behind the scenes: continuity. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu could all retain their positions. Their continued service is not merely a product of incumbency advantage; it reflects the unfinished work of the Renewed Hope Agenda they are steering together with President Bola Tinubu.

Among senior members of both chambers, the argument for unchanged leadership rests on a single word—stability. Introducing new leaders now could slow progress on key reforms such as state police, local‑government autonomy, tax policy, and constitutional review. At this critical juncture, Nigerians cannot afford the learning curve that accompanies a change in leadership.

Since June 2023, the 10th Assembly has operated with notable speed. The Electricity Act, the Student Loans Act, and extensive amendments aimed at easing business operations were passed by both chambers in record time. Budgets moved forward with minimal contention, and for the first time in years the legislature’s tone toward the executive has been described as “constructive, not combative.”

The case for stability is most evident in the situation of Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu. In Abia State, his name dominates every serious projection for the 2027 governorship race.

After years of political groundwork, Kalu is widely credited with reviving the APC brand in a state traditionally hostile to the party. He took the APC into markets and town halls, reconciled aggrieved factions, and recruited young professionals. He also hosted politicians from other parties in Abia, showcasing projects and translating the Renewed Hope Agenda into local terms.

Kalu founded the Renewed Hope Partners (RHP) in Abia and established an office in Umuahia, the state capital, from which he carried the agenda to the hinterlands.

Under his direction, APC membership drives in Bende and across the three senatorial districts—Abia North, Abia Central, and Abia South—generated numbers not seen since 2015. Ward, local‑government, and state congresses proceeded without the rancour that had marked them since 2014. Party leaders now refer to him as “the face of APC’s rebirth” in Abia, if not in the entire South‑East geopolitical zone.

Many in Abia believe Kalu’s chances of winning the 2027 governorship were near‑certain, were it not for the continuity call from Abuja. Speculation suggests he has been asked to remain in the House, with the prevailing view in the capital that his legislative role is currently more valuable to the nation than a gubernatorial post in Abia.

Within the Green Chamber, Kalu has earned goodwill that crosses party lines. Colleagues describe his conduct in the chair as firm yet fair. He knows the House Rules intimately, cites constitutional provisions from memory, and rarely allows debate to descend into chaos. When tempers flare, he defuses tension with humor and emotional intelligence; when technical bills arrive, he translates them into plain language. Even opponents respect the intellect and balance he brings to the floor.

Kalu’s reputation extends beyond Nigeria. As Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review and head of the Monetary and Financial Affairs Committee of the Pan‑African Parliament, he has become one of the Assembly’s most visible diplomats. His engagements have taken him from the ECOWAS Parliament in Nigeria to South Africa for the Pan‑African Parliament, the African Union, and onward to the United States, Brussels, and Turkey for the Inter‑Parliamentary Union, where his voice on patriotism and pan‑Africanism continues to resonate.

The Deputy Speaker is also championing the gender‑inclusion bill despite cultural resistance and leading efforts for post‑crisis reconciliation frameworks across Africa. He successfully steered the South East Development Commission (SEDC) bill, establishing the commission for the region.

Kalu is not the sole figure in the continuity discussion. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas has anchored the House around “people‑centered legislation” linked to Tinubu’s eight‑point agenda. Akpabio’s Senate has branded itself “unapologetically pro‑Nigeria,” moving quickly on budgets and other people‑oriented bills. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has kept the Senate’s machinery quiet yet efficient. Together, the four presiding officers have avoided the public spats that characterized previous Assemblies. While they may have disagreed privately, they have presented a united front, a unity that has kept Nigeria’s reform pace steady.

If all four return, the 11th Assembly would begin with a depth of institutional memory rarely seen. Tax bills, electoral‑act amendments, and the next phase of constitutional review would land on desks already familiar with the files.

For Kalu, staying in the House may postpone a personal ambition, but many in Abia’s APC view it as a long‑term strategy. This is why President Tinubu, the APC, and the broader political structure should preserve the current power‑sharing arrangement. The stability, institutional memory, and legislative‑executive synergy built over the past two years are too vital to disrupt.

With the Renewed Hope Agenda still unfolding and major reforms underway, retaining the present leadership is the most reliable way to complete what they have started.

*Nwachukwu, a public affairs analyst writes from Umuahia, Abia State capital.