A massive show of solidarity has swept across Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State as constituents and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took to the streets in support of the re-election bid of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
The solidarity march, described by organisers as the “Yellow Movement,” was held across the 13 wards of the federal constituency, with supporters displaying the party’s colours and using the occasion to highlight projects and interventions attributed to the Deputy Speaker since his election to the House of Representatives.
The development comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, when Kalu is seeking another term to represent Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
According to the organisers, the movement was not imposed by any political structure but was organically put together by supporters and APC members across Bende who wanted to publicly demonstrate their appreciation for what they described as Kalu’s interventions in their communities.
The Yellow Movement march has provided another public display of support for Kalu within the constituency.
The organisers said the participants came from across the 13 wards to identify with what they regard as the Deputy Speaker’s record of representation and to assure him of their continued support ahead of the 2027 election.
For the supporters, the Yellow Movement represents more than a political rally. They describe it as an expression of appreciation for projects and interventions they say have reached communities across Bende.
Participants in the march reportedly used the occasion to draw attention to projects in their respective wards, particularly in the areas of road infrastructure, education, healthcare, water, electricity, agriculture and youth empowerment.
Projects Across Bende
Available records show that Kalu’s constituency interventions have covered several sectors and communities across Bende.
The Deputy Speaker’s official constituency-project record lists road projects including the Amokwe-Akanu Item Road, Agboakoli Ancient Road in Alayi, Bende Market Road, Ndiokorieukwu Road, Bende headquarters road, Amaeke Isiegbu-Umuhu Road, Amazu-Umuokwe Road, Abam-Umuhu Road, Ozuitem Road, Amorji-Lodu Imenyi Road, Ihemba Road and Okwu Road in Uzuakoli.
The records also list an 11-kilometre ecological intervention project in Umuimenyi-Nkpa, including road and bridge works, as well as interventions on the Umuahia-Bende-Ohafia Road and Etitiulo-Itumbauzo Road.
In education, several classroom blocks have either been constructed or reconstructed in different parts of the constituency.
In April 2025, Kalu commissioned a number of projects in Bende, Itumbauzo and Uzuakoli wards. Among them were reconstructed classroom blocks at Okopedi Community Primary School, Etitiulo Primary School, Bende Secondary Grammar School, Central School Bende and Community Primary School, Bende. The projects also included office spaces and other school facilities.
The wider list of interventions includes classroom projects at schools in Item, Igbere, Alayi, Umuhu, Uzuakoli, Ozuitem and other communities.
Healthcare has also featured prominently in the constituency interventions, with projects including health centres and maternity facilities, while reports on earlier constituency programmes also listed healthcare support and a subsidised health insurance scheme for constituents.
Other interventions attributed to Kalu include solar-powered boreholes, agricultural training and empowerment, support for farmers, ICT facilities, solar street lighting and electricity-related projects.
A record of projects across the constituency also lists the construction of health facilities, roads, schools and other community infrastructure in wards including Itumbauzo, Item, Bende, Ozuitem, Uzuakoli, Umuimenyi/Nkpa, Alayi, Umuhu and Igbere.
