- Speaks on Why He Shelved Presidential Ambition Until…
By Kolawole Ojebisi
The lawmaker representing Abia North at the Senate, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, has stated that he will join the race for the Red Chamber again in 2027.
Orji, who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, however, declared that he has decided to shelve his presidential ambition, until 2031.
He described the decision as keeping his presidential ambition “in the cooler”, stressing that the move was necessitated by the unanimous adoption of President Bola Tinubu by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The legislator vowed to revive his ambition to take a shot at the highest political seat after Tinubu completes his second term in office.
This is contained in a statement issued by Kalu’s Special Adviser on Media, Peter Eze, early Wednesday.
According to the statement, Kalu spoke while addressing newsmen in Igbere in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State on Tuesday evening.
“I am a member of the APC and our party has comfortably endorsed President Tinubu. So, even if I have Presidential ambition, it is in the cooler for now because I cannot fight the party. The party is supreme. The supremacy of party is what President Tinubu is enjoying.
“He will enjoy it and we will elect him President. At God’s own time, if I still have the energy, and the resources, after President Tinubu in 2031, who says, I can’t contest for the President? It is possible” Kalu was quoted to have said.
He continued, “2027, I will run for re-election for the Senate. I will run if our people find me worthy. A man who has done more than 187 roads in six years as a senator, and I have done more than 123 primary schools”.
Speaking on the performance of Tinubu in the last two years Kalu said, “I work closely with him. The President has done very well within two years. If we can give him the benefits of finishing another two years and doing another term, I think we will see a lot of changes in the economy”.
The Abia senator said the endorsement of President Tinubu for another second term is not hasty as is being speculated in some quarters adding that the party did the right thing to encourage to do more
According to him “The party did the right thing because, we are in the mid-term and we need to encourage the President to do more. The sitting President has the right to re-contest and we will support him hundred percent.”
