The 2023 re-election bid by senate chief whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu may have suffered a blow yesterday following the withdrawal of support by members of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Operating on the platform of concerned Abia North APC, they announced that they have decided to switch their support to senator Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Addressing newsmen in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, they accused the one-time governor of the state of "floating the Action Peoples Party to support his younger brother's governorship ambition".

In a statement read by their secretary, Mr Kingsley Okorie, they further alleged that the senator is the brain behind all the crisis in the state chapter of the APC, adding that he can't deny it .

According to him, "consequent upon the above and other anti-party activities, we have decided to withdraw our support for him. The decision was reached after he failed to repent of his bad ways. He snubbed several appeals to stop the activities.

"We challenge him to show proof of the last time he attended any APC event in Abia, yet he is occuping a high position in the senate on the platform of the party. Where then is his love or care for the party."

They noted that they were disappointed that since he went to the senate in 2019, the district had not been well represented, adding that their voice was rarely heard, "and when heard, it will be a comic relief".

Explaining that their over 20,000 strong members would not fold their hands and allow things to keep getting bad, Okorie maintained that their support for other APC candidates remain intact.

A chieftain of the APC, Mr Kelvin Ifeanyi, adding his voice, pledged their loyalty to the APC goverorship candidate, High Chief Ikechi Emenike and the chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu.