Olushola Omogbehin
Senate Majority Whip and former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu, has said he is the most relevant political leader from the South-East region of Nigeria and not the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.
The senator who currently represents Abia North in the 10th senate disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday when he was asked whether he believed Igbos should rally behind Obi ahead of future elections.
The former governor however declined to discuss the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate for any reason, maintaining that his focus remains on the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Each time you mention him, I become uncomfortable because I’ve told you before — any day you want to discuss Peter Obi with me, give us two hours, put him there, and put me here. Then we’ll sort it out,
“I don’t want to discuss Peter Obi for any reason. You can ask me about the leader of my party, I will answer you, whether the question is right or wrong, I will answer you.”
On whether Obi is the political leader of the South-East or not, Kalu dismissed the claim, declaring himself the region’s most influential politician.
He stated specifically that: “Obi is not my leader; I am the most important politician from that zone.” Buttressing his position, he said that the 4.9 million votes he received in 2007 as the presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) remain valid.
“I have won two states before under PPA. I ran for president before; my 4.9 million votes in 2007 are still there. We achieved a lot with PPA. We had ministers, ambassadors, and other appointments under President Yar’Adua,” he said.
He further stated that his experience and achievements make him a major political figure in the South-East, not Peter Obi, who was the Labour Party’s flagbearer in the 2023 presidential election.
