2023 Presidency: Orji Kalu Withdraws, Backs Senate President Lawan

Former governor of Abia State and Senate chief whip, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Monday, withdrew from the 2023 presidential election. Orji rather declared support for Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Orji stated on his verified Facebook page that his withdrawal was to pave way for the North-East region of the country to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023.

Orji had earlier stated that both South East and North East had the same fate of marginalisation in Nigeria’s polity.

He also stated earlier that unless the two major political parties agreed to zone their presidential tickets to South East that he would not contest, and would rather seek re-election into the Senate.

Orji congratulated Senator Ahmad for picking the presidential form on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

According to him “I congratulate my friend, former roommate and boss, Senator Ahmad Lawan, as he picks form to run for president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I am most glad because he is from the North East, the only zone alongside South East that is yet to produce president of Nigeria.

“I have always maintained an unambiguous stand that for justice, equity and fairness in our country, the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari should come from the South East or the North East .

“I have also told Nigerians that I would only run for president if the two major political parties (APC and PDP) zone their tickets to the South East.

“That is why I was disappointed with our southern brothers who are talking about fairness and equity, but have zero tolerance for the same fairness and equity in the South.”

Orji further stated that, “In the absence of a south-easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a north-easterner. This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness and justice everyone is talking about.

“It further means that the justice is on its way to the South East.”

He thanked his faithful who purchased the presidential form for him, adding that, “Since there is no zoning and the contest is open to all Nigerians, I officially withdraw from presidential contest in 2023. I have also picked the ticket to run for Abia North senatorial zone and to complete the good work I started in Abia North.”

He urged his friends, allies and supporters in the APC ‘to toe the line of justice by supporting Senator Ahmad Lawan, a north-easterner, for the presidential ticket of the APC’.