A former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday explained that he is backing President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015, because it is the president’s constitutional right to seek for a second term. Kalu, who spoke last night on Channel’s Television programme, Politics Today, also disclosed the South-East geo-political zone where he hails from, will not be contesting the 2015 presidency, as Jonathan, who is from the South-South is entitled to second term like other past presidents of Nigeria. According to him, the zone will rather throw its weight behind the President in 2015, and wait till 2019.
“2015 is not the turn of the Igbo because Jonathan is entitled to a second term like other past presidents. After Jonathan’s tenure in 2019, the Igbo will sit down with our brothers from the North and discuss what next,” he said. Kalu assured that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win the 2015 presidential election, even as he commended the rotational arrangement by the party, saying the party has used it to stabilize the country.
His words: “The PDP will win the 2015 elections. There may be internal wrangling, but the PDP franchise is very strong, and any presidential candidate the party fields will definitely win the election.” Speaking on the fight against insurgency, he commended President Jonathan for his efforts so far, adding that the Federal Government was doing all it needs to do to ensure that the situation is brought under control.
Kalu who refrained from speaking on the administration of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, stated that he would write about the governor and the state in his Leadership Series, as a case point for students of history.
He acknowledged that though he made it possible for Orji to emerge as governor of the state, he said something went wrong along the line, and that roads in Abia State have become impassable, even as he lamented that thugs reign supreme in the state, harassing innocent citizens. The former governor stated that every fight he ever had with former President Olusegun Obasanjo was because he stood on the side of the people, for what was right.
According to him, even though his businesses were grounded by the Obasanjo administration, he still fought for the right and good of the people. Kalu also commended the recommendation for creation of additional state in South-East. His words: “I think the most important state to be created is the one out of South-East.
The South- East delegation to the National Conference led by Gen Ike Nwachukwu fought for it and they got it approved by almost all the members of the conference. I think that should be in the front burner now for that state to be created in South-East, so that we can have justice because justice is everything that is holding the country on the ground.
“If you want to talk truly about Nigeria, you have to first give South-East the one state as a matter of urgency. The South-East needs the state more than any other parts of Nigeria because every other geopolitical zone has six states and another seven states. That is not justice.”
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