Orji Kalu, senator representing Abia north, says President Bola Tinubu has no serious challenger ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Kalu spoke on Friday at the Abia APC stakeholders’ meeting
held in Umuahia, where he addressed issues affecting the unity of the party in
the state.
The former governor of Abia said the ruling APC would retain
power as the opposition is too weak to mount a credible contest.
He argued that Tinubu remained the strongest candidate in
the race.
“The good news is that we are going to win the nation
comfortably,” he said.
“President Tinubu has no competition, he has no rival. The
opposition is in tatters, absolutely tatters, quote me.
“Maybe if Orji Kalu is running in APC, that could have been
a challenge to President Tinubu. But today there’s no challenge because you
don’t need to use only the southeast or somewhere else to challenge the
president of Nigeria.
“It’s not possible. Let us not throw away our votes. Let our
votes be valid.”
The lawmaker, who described himself as “a political
scientist” and entrepreneur, said his assessment was based on his understanding
of the country’s political landscape.
He noted that Nigeria’s electoral arithmetic makes it
impossible for any candidate to emerge president without broad national
support, urging Igbos to work towards national unity if they hope to produce a
president in the future.
“We need a united Nigeria to be able to get a united Igbo
president,” he said.
“First of all, you need 24 states to be president of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He also dismissed claims that Tinubu would lose support in
northern Nigeria, arguing that voters in the region would back the president
rather than start afresh with a new administration.
“People say the northerners won’t vote for Tinubu. Why? If
they vote for another man, you start afresh. That man you are going to vote for
will do eight years. Tinubu is already four years gone,” he said.
The senator further defended the Tinubu administration’s
handling of the economy, saying the economic hardship being experienced in
Nigeria reflects a global trend.
“I know past presidents that have made more mistakes than
Tinubu, and this is no mistake,” Kalu said.
“All over the world, there are economic problems. There are
economic problems in London, Canada, the U.S., Ghana and South Africa.”
The senator urged APC leaders in Abia to avoid actions
capable of creating divisions within the party ahead of the elections.
While noting that the APC should remain united, he warned
that poor party management could lead to the emergence of factions.
“Party is one. Everybody is one. If parties don’t manage
well, we create a faction. An election is coming, and when we create a faction,
it will only make us lose more seats we could have recovered easily,” Kalu
said.
He called on ward, local government and state party leaders
to ensure members are fairly managed to preserve the party’s cohesion.
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