Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has cautioned the South East against what he described as the “wastage of votes” on opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging the region to pursue unity and strategic political alliances within the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kalu spoke on Saturday at the South East APC Stakeholders Meeting held in Enugu, where he stressed the need for a united Southern political corridor to sustain the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He said the South East must set aside internal divisions and work collectively to regain relevance at the centre of national power, warning that breaking the existing Southern alliance would leave the region politically isolated and numerically weak.

“Politics is a game of numbers, not sentiments,” Kalu said. “The era of wasting our votes on emotional choices that yield no political capital is over. A vote cast where it does not contribute to success is an opportunity lost at the negotiation table.”

According to him, political relevance is earned through deliberate investment, noting that regions cannot expect dividends of democracy from an administration they did not support.

“We cannot ask for dividends where we have not invested. The vote in your hand is your currency for investment. The shortest and most viable route for the South East to earn federal power in the near future is through strong, strategic alliances built over time,” he stated.

Kalu urged Ndigbo to sustain their support for the South West and President Tinubu, arguing that such cooperation would deepen trust, encourage reciprocity and secure the South East’s place in national decision-making.

He also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, acknowledging that policies such as fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification were painful but necessary.

“Yes, the reforms were tough and tested our resilience, but today we are beginning to see the fruits of that steadfast leadership,” he said, adding that the President demonstrated uncommon courage in implementing difficult reforms.

The Deputy Speaker commended the governors of Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu states for strengthening the APC in the South East and called on party leaders across the region to intensify mobilisation efforts.

He described the ongoing APC electronic registration exercise as critical to the region’s influence within the party at the national level.

“Membership numbers translate directly to political power. They determine delegate strength, allocation of party positions and our bargaining power. We must not be found wanting,” Kalu warned.

He further urged party leaders to welcome new members, stressing that politics thrives on inclusion rather than exclusion, and called for aggressive participation in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

“Ndi Igbo, let us be strategic. Let us invest our votes. Let us build the bridges that will lead us to the future we desire,” he concluded.