Abia Guber: Why I Can’t Support My Party’s Candidate – Orji Kalu

…Says APC Candidate Insulted Him Openly

The Chief Whip of the Senate and senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has said that he will not back the governorship candidate of his party in the state, Ikechi Emenike.

The APC chieftain’s comment is coming about 20 days to the gubernatorial election scheduled for March 11, 20223.

Orji revealed on Arise TV on Tuesday that he cannot endorse another person when his brother, Mascot Uzor-Kalu of the Action Peoples Party (APP), is contesting in the election.

The governorship contest has been drawn between candidates of the three major parties in the state, namely the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ambrose Okechukwu Ahaiwe, the Labour Party’s Alex Otti and Ikechi Emenike of the APC.

But Mascot has been tipped to be a major challenger in the race considering Kalu’s political influence.

The Abia North Senator has been accused of anti-party activities amid the dilemma choosing who to support between his brother and the APC candidate.

The lawmaker said, “Even the national chairman of this party knows it is going to be difficult for me to do. I’m not going to endorse any governorship candidate because my blood brother is running for election and the governorship candidate of the APC has not formally informed me that he is running for governorship. So, I cannot endorse what I don’t know.

“I was a former governor of this state, and all the governorship candidates have been here formally to tell me they are running for governorship. I have not seen the governorship candidate of the APC. So, he is running for himself as far as I’m concerned. I’m not going to support what I don’t know. That is the truth. I stand where I stand and nobody is going to make me to change my mind. The man has openly campaigned against me in Ozuakoli. He abused me before the people and the traditional rulers in my village. I accepted it. I don’t want to be like another animal.

“My vote still remains for the APC and I am not going to follow or help someone who has not told me. He said I was the one who stopped him from going to the Senate. They said I’m not popular. It is on the 25th of February that we will decide who is popular or not and who will win his polling unit for Bola Tinubu is more important.”

Kalu said the APC candidate, Emenike, has made it a habit to campaign against him in different Local Government Areas of the State.

“It is on record that the man told people not to vote for me and he is not from Abia North. I can tell people not to vote for him? And they will not vote for him, because I was a former governor of the State and I’m very popular among the people of the State.

“I have never said any word against him and I do not want to talk about it because every man must carry his cross. Even if I campaign for him, at the point of voting, the voters have the right to choose who they want to vote for. I’m not going to carry everybody’s cross. My brother is a man and a very competent man to govern the State. He has more experience than anybody running.

“It is not my duty to say who to support. It is left for Abia people to decide on the 11th of March who they want to support. All I know is that I ‘m supporting my party the APC and all the candidates running,” Kalu said, noting he has not made up his mind on which governorship candidate to vote for.

The ex-Abia governor said candidates like Tinubu and Ahmed Lawan who contested for the APC presidential primaries consulted him, a gesture he described as show of respect.

According to Kalu, Emenike must formally visit him alongside his people traditional rulers to inform him formally on his candidature.

“He did not give me his loyalty, so, why should I give him mine?” Kalu added.

Currently, the sentiments in Abia appear to favour the Labour Party candidate, Otti, due to the massive mobilization of the ‘Obideint Movement’ in the state.

Abia has been PDP’s stronghold since 1999 when Kalu became its governor.