Orji Uzor Kalu, the chief whip of the Nigeria Senate, has said he was not desperate to contest for the 2023 presidency despite having the capacity to campaign and lock horns with anyone.
The lawmaker and former governor of Abia State said this on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, while speaking with the Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly complex Abuja.
He revealed that he visited President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, but not in connection with his presidential ambition.
He claimed the presidential contest would be a collective decision of Nigeria as well as party zoning.
Kalu, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, maintained that the South-East geopolitical zone was overdue to produce a president but regretted that the South East and North East were zones yet to produce presidency.
Kalu stressed that his visit to President Buhari was a usual one adding that their relationship has spanned for years before he became President. He disclosed that their discussions were centred on national issues with regards to security, electoral laws and the welfare of the country.
He said “This is not the first time I’m going to see the President. People usually go in the afternoon but I went in the night to avoid the press.
“I go there regularly. It’s a family affair and I went there to discuss national issues with regards to security, well being of our country, and the issue of the electoral law, and the discussion was very fruitful.
He said, “Has the party zoned the ticket to the Southeast?. I have said before that there are only two zones that have not been President, the Southeast and the Northeast. Once it’s zoned to the Southeast I have the capacity and the capability I will roll out my campaign and rock like a hurricane”.
“It’s overdue for an Igboman to become a Nigerian President, I believe the Southeast should produce the next President and it is going to happen”.
In a further response, Kalu slammed other Presidential aspirants in his All Progressives Congress, APC, who had gone to inform President Muhammadu Buhari about their intentions saying they were not serious people.
He said those already pushing are not being fair to the feelings of Nigerians.
“They are not serious. A serious-minded person will like to be fair to Nigeria, to be fair to society, and be fair to the atmosphere because this party is not owned by me or by you the press people. It is only APC people that can decide where the party ticket will go to, if they zone it to the Southeast I have all it takes to make a good President.”
