Benjamin Kalu | |
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Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria | |
Assumed office 13 June 2023 | |
Speaker | Tajudeen Abbas |
Preceded by | Ahmed Idris Wase |
Member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria from Abia | |
Assumed office 11 June 2019 | |
Constituency | Bende |
Personal details | |
Nationality | Nigerian |
Political party | All Progressives Congress |
Other political affiliations | Peoples Democratic Party Progressive Peoples Alliance |
Residence(s) | Abuja,Nigeria |
Occupation | Politician |
Benjamin Okezie Kalu,is a Nigerian politician who is currently serving as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria since 2023. He represents the Bende Federal Constituency. [1]
Benjamin Okezie Kalu was born on May 5,1971 in Agbamuzu,Bende Local Government Area [2] of Abia State,Nigeria. [3] He holds multiple degrees,including a Master of Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University, [4] a Master of Law in Terrorism and International Humanitarian Law (Distinction),and a Bachelor of Law (LL.B Hons.) from the University of Calabar. Kalu was called to the Nigerian Bar after completing his studies at the Nigeria Law School in Enugu State,Nigeria.
In addition to his formal education,Kalu has obtained several certifications in Migration and Human Rights from John Cabot University,Italy, [5] Illicit Trade from the University of Groningen,Netherlands, [6] Governance and Development from Miami Herbert Business School, [7] Miami University,USA, [8] Environmental Crimes from the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI),Italy and International Commercial Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIARB) [9] at the University of Oxford, [10] United Kingdom.
Kalu's political career began in 2002 when he contested for the House of Representatives primaries. He served as the Local Government Chairman (Transition) for Bende Local Government Area,Abia State and held various advisory roles to the then Governor of Abia State,Orji Uzor Kalu. [11] He has also served as the National Chapter President of the Peoples Democracy Party [12] in Diaspora,the youngest Local Government Chairman of Bende Local Government Area,and Senior Special Adviser to Theodore Orji [13] on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Abia State,Nigeria.
In 2011 and 2015,he contested for the House of Representatives elections,representing Progressive Peoples Alliance at that time,but lost in both elections. [14] [15] On 23 February 2019,Kalu,representing the ruling All Progressives Congress defeated Chima Anyaso of the People's Democratic Party and won the seat to represent Bende federal constituency,Abia State in the House of Representatives. [16] [17] [18] [19] He received 9,138 votes,while Anyaso received 5,591 votes. [20] Anyaso rejected the result of the election and challenged the victory of Kalu in the National and State Assembly Election Petitions tribunal,citing irregularities in the election. [21] [22] On 29 August 2019,the tribunal dismissed the petition for lacking merit and upheld the election of Kalu. [23] [24] After losing at the tribunal,Anyaso appealed the case at the Court of Appeal,Owerri Division. On 28 October 2019,the Appeal court upheld Kalu's election. [25] [26]
He was re-elected in 2023 and he is currently the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria. His roles in the 10th Assembly include Chairman of the Constitution Review and Amendment Committee.
As the Spokesperson of the 9th Assembly, [27] Kalu proposed and supported various bills,motions,and acts,including the Acts Authentication Act [28] and the Nigerian Communications Act. He currently serves as Chairman of the House Committee on the review of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. [29]
Kalu is the convener of the Peace in the South East Project (PISE), [30] which aims to use non-kinetic means to resolve insecurity in the South East Region of Nigeria. He also led the Sudan Darfur Project in Australia for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees,focusing on fundraising and providing orientation for refugees.
He is also the founder of the Benjamin Kalu Foundation, [31] a charity organization.
Benjamin Okezie Kalu is married and has five children. He hails from Bende,Abia State,Nigeria.
Abia State is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The state is bordered to the northwest by Anambra State and to the northeast by the states of Enugu and Ebonyi,Imo State to the west,Cross River State to the east,Akwa Ibom State to the southeast,and Rivers State to the south. Abia is the only Southeastern state that has boundaries with the other four Southeastern states in Nigeria. It takes its name from the acronym for four of the state's most populated regions:Aba,Bende,Isuikwuato,and Afikpo. The state capital is Umuahia while the largest city and commercial centre is Aba.
Orji Uzor Kalu is a Nigerian politician and businessman who is the senator representing Abia North Senatorial District. He served as governor of Abia State from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. Kalu is the chairman of SLOK Holding and the Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria.
The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) is a Federal higher institution located in Maiduguri,the capital city of Borno State in Northeast Nigeria. The university was created by the federal government of Nigeria in 1975,with the intention of its becoming one of the country's principal higher-education institutions. It enrolls about 25,000 students in its combined programs,which include a college of medicine and faculties of agriculture,arts,environmental science,Allied health science,Basic medical science,dentistry,education,engineering,law,management science,pharmacy,science,social science,and veterinary medicine. With the encouragement of the federal government,the university has recently been increasing its research efforts,particularly in the fields of agriculture,medicine and conflict resolution,and expanding the university press. The university is the major higher institution of learning in the north-eastern part of the country.
Theodore Ahamefule Orji is a Nigerian politician who served as the senator representing Abia Central senatorial district from 2015 to 2023. He previously served as the governor of Abia State from 2007 to 2015. He was formerly a career civil servant,and served as the chief of staff to Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu.
Bende is a Local Government Area in Abia State,Nigeria with headquarters located in Bende Community. Bende Local Government Area (L.G.A) of Abia state lies on 70 30I of the Greenwich Meridian and latitude 50 30I North of the Equator. It is composed of thirteen (13) communities,namely:Alayi,Bende,Ezukwu,Igbere,Item,Itumbuzo,Nkpa,Ntalakwu,Ozuitem,Ugwueke,Umu-imenyi,Umuhu-Ezechi,and Uzuakoli.
Nkechi Justina Nwaogu,is a Nigerian politician and banker,founder and CEO Libra Investment. She is the former Chairman Governing Council and Pro Chancellor University of Calabar. Nwaogu was the Member representing Osisioma Ngwa,Ugwunagbo and Obi Ngwa Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. In 2007 she was elected as the Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District. In 2011 she was re-elected for a second tenure in office.
Nnenna Ijeoma Elendu Ukeje is a Nigerian politician who was the representative for Bende Federal Constituency,Abia State,Nigeria. Having had a successful career in the private sector,Nnenna was elected to the House of Representatives in 2007,She was re-elected to the position on 29 May 2011 and also served as the Chairman house committee on foreign affairs. In the 2015 general elections she was also re-elected to the house of representative and once again appointed as the house committee chairman on foreign affairs.
Eric Iheanacho "Acho" Nwakanma is a Nigerian politician,businessman and philanthropist who served twice as the deputy governor of Abia State from 2006 to 2007 and from 2010 to 2011.
Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is a Nigerian politician and former Governor of Abia State,who was in office from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He was re-elected as the Governor of Abia state at the 9 March 2019 gubernatorial election. He ran for election at the 2023 Senatorial election for Abia South Senatorial District but came a distant third behind incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of All Progressive Grand Alliance and a political newbie Chinedu Onyeizu of the Labour Party.
Mao Arukwe Ohuabunwa is a Nigerian politician,businessman and a former Senator who represented Abia North Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly having served in the 4th and 5th National Assembly as Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia constituency of Abia State under the People's Democratic Party between 1999 and 2007.
Umeh Kalu Ikwuonwu is a Nigerian legal practitioner. He served as the Attorney General of Abia State and Commissioner for Justice of Abia State.
Chima Anyaso is a Nigerian entrepreneur,politician and hotelier popularly known for his foray in the Nigerian downstream oil and gas sector.
The 2019 Abia State gubernatorial election occurred on March 9,2019. Incumbent PDP Governor Okezie Ikpeazu won re-election for a second term,defeating APC's Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah,and several minor party candidates. The major contenders for the race signed a peace accord agreement in January 2019.
The 1999 Abia State gubernatorial election occurred in Nigeria on January 9,1999. The PDP nominee Orji Uzor Kalu won the election,defeating the APP candidate.
The 2023 Abia State gubernatorial election took place on 18 March 2023,to elect the Governor of Abia State,concurrent with elections to the Abia State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election—which was postponed from its original 11 March date—will be held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP governor Okezie Ikpeazu was term-limited and could not seek a third term. Alex Otti,a banker,gained the office for the Labour Party by a margin of victory over first runner-up and PDP nominee—Okey Ahiwe,the former Chief of Staff to Ikpeazu.
The 2019 Nigerian Senate election in Abia State was held on February 23,2019,to elect members of the Nigerian Senate to represent Abia State. Enyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia South and Theodore Orji representing Abia Central won on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party,while Orji Uzor Kalu representing Abia North won on the platform of All Progressives Congress.
The 2019 Nigerian House of Representatives elections in Abia State was held on February 23,2019,to elect members of the House of Representatives to represent Abia State,Nigeria.
The 2015 Abia State House of Assembly election was held on April 11,2015,to elect members of the Abia State House of Assembly in Nigeria. All the 24 seats were up for election in the Abia State House of Assembly.
The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Abia State will be held on 25 February 2023,to elect the 3 federal Senators from Abia State,one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election,as well as other elections to the Senate,and elections to the House of Representatives;with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.
Chimaobi Ebisike is a Nigerian politician,member of the 9th Federal House of Representatives in from Aba North/ Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State.
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