Benjamin Kalu has described the re-election of Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election as a “done deal,” citing the President’s commitment to youth development and leadership cultivation.
The deputy speaker made the remarks on Monday in Abuja while receiving the executive members of the Abia State City Boy Movement, according to a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu.
Kalu praised Tinubu as a “youth-friendly leader” who deliberately selects talented young individuals for key positions. He said, “Beyond the mandate of the City Boy Movement, he has exhibited his interest in raising a new set of leaders for the future of Nigeria. If you take a good look at the composition of his team, the Ministers at the Federal Executive Council, you will find the best brains that he harvested from the youth population of our country, and I am proud to say that all of them are making us proud.”
He emphasised that the President’s focus is on legacy rather than applause, noting, “Mr. President is thinking of legacy, not applause. This is the same man that, against all advocacy that the youth do not have capacity to lead, deliberately invested in the youths because he understands they need to be part of the system so they can understand how to hold the baton before it’s passed on to them.”
Kalu also urged Nigerian youths to prepare themselves for leadership, stating, “Batons are not handed over to the ones who are sitting as spectators, only those who are in the race by making themselves available, present, and ready will receive the baton. That is what the President is looking for through this City Boy Movement.”
On the 2027 election, he said, “As for 2027, it is a done deal. We will campaign with our policies and projects. For example, in the just concluded FCT Council election, we didn’t go into that campaign with only jingles and posters. We went into that campaign with the physical work of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Wike’s work was our campaign poster and jingles. We didn’t have to struggle for television interviews because the fact speaks for itself.”
Kalu concluded by reiterating that the City Boy Movement is not solely about Tinubu’s re-election but serves as a platform for identifying and grooming future leaders who will manage the country’s growth.
