Chants of Obi rend the air as Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, campaigned for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Aba, Abia State, on Saturday.

Kalu, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), had told the crowd to vote for President Tinubu on January 16, 2026.

Describing Tinubu as the best Presidential Candidate, the lawmaker said the South-East had a lot to gain if Tinubu is elected.

“President Tinubu has remembered us. He has remembered the South East. He has remembered Bende. The only way to say thank you is to vote him for a second time,” Kalu told the crowd, which replied him by chanting, “Obi! Obi!! Obi!!! Obi!!!!.

Speaking in native Igbo language, Kalu tried to pacify the crowd but they kept chanting Obi.

Suddenly, a woman suspected to be one of Obi’s supporters seized the microphone and started chanting, “Kererenke!” and the crowd responded, “Obi!”

The atmosphere was charged as they sang the popular lingo in the South East, which supporters of Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), now use to express support for him.

One of the organisers of the event quickly collected the microphone from her and asked her to step down from the podium.

The drama continued as Kalu attempted to fight back by singing, “On Your Mandate we Shall Stand”, known as the personal anthem of Tinubu, in political circles.

However, the action of the lawmaker had little or no effect as the crowd continued chanting the name of Tinubu’s rival.

The lawmaker paused and asked the crowd, “You don’t want this university they want to build for you?”

Realising how determined their support is for Obi, Kalu jocularly said, “These people are not Item people.” (Weekend Trust, excluding headline)