Politics
2023 Presidency: Kalu chickens out, says without zoning, he will stay put in the senate
Having come to terms with the reality that the South East and its quest for the presidency can not be achieved without the support of other regions, former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu has shelved his presidential ambition.
The senator had earlier indicated interest to run for the presidency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with a proviso that the Ruling Party zones it to the South East.
In a statement, the senator personally signed and made available to newsmen on Tuesday he acknowledged that the situation in Nigeria is that without the support of other regions, it would amount to a shadow chasing for a South Easterner to be President.
“This is the reason I have been in the frontline of the call that the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should zone their presidential tickets to the South East as they did for the South West in 1999.
“In the absence of this zoning, I shall return to the Senate and stay away from the presidential contest. The reality is that the North is more advantageous to win elections in this democratic setting.”
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“It is my desire and intention to run for the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am committed to this pursuit, but I can’t make an official declaration to this regard without the full support of other regions. “Everywhere in the world, politics is situational and that of Nigeria is exceptionally situational.
The situation in Nigeria is that without the support of other regions, it would amount to a shadow chasing for a South Easterner to be President.”
This he said is the reason he has been in the frontline of the advocacy for the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should zone their presidential tickets to the South East as they did for the South West in 1999.
In the absence of this zoning, he said he will return to the Senate and stay away from the presidential contest. “The reality is that the North is more advantageous to win elections in this democratic setting.”
He expressed dismay with the array of aspirants coming from the South West and the South-South.
“It is embarrassing that these aspirants (APC and PDP) have no single respect and concern for the South East. I had thought they would think about the southeast; I thought they would support us.
“The amount of money being spent by these aspirants is alarming and they have forgotten that money alone cannot buy the presidency.
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“It has become a joke to an ordinary Nigerian who hears Southern commentators and aspirants rooting for a Southern President on the premise of fairness, equity, and justice.
“How can you talk about these morals when you are not even fair to your own brothers?
“If there is anything like “fairness”, “equity” and “justice”, it should be the entire South pushing for a president of southeast extraction. Anything less than that is “hypocritical”, “unjustifiable” and “inordinate”.
“Some ‘persons’ are even claiming God’s anointed choice in 2023. Unfortunately, it is not all prayers that God answers; at least not inordinate ones.
“What moral justification does a Southerner who refused to be fair to his brothers have against a Northerner running for president? It will be very insensitive, unreasonable, and disrespectful for any Southern man to criticize a presidential aspirant from the North on the ground that the North has done eight years and power should return to the South.
“The South West and the South-South have successfully completed their tenures as ‘President and Vice President’.
“They should have the courage to support their brothers from the South East. If the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari does not come from the South East, there would be nothing unfair and unjust if he/she comes from Daura.
“This country belongs to all of us and the unity of the country should be paramount. If not for selfishness and greed, how can you say that where a president comes from does not matter simply because you don’t want to support a president of
Nigeria from the South East, but turn around to clamor for a power shift to the South? “How do we explain this to the younger generation? Let the wise and courageous stay firm on their convictions and not swing on the two sides of the Atlantic.
If you are convinced that where a president comes from does not matter, let Nigerians not hear you clamor for a power shift. Be brave to encourage everyone to run, including President Buhari’s kinsmen. But if you have a conscience and believe in equality, then you should support the South East region that is yet to produce a president. That is what I consider fairness.
The two regions that are yet to produce President he said are South East and North East.
“If this means anything to Nigerians, the APC and PDP should be fair enough to prioritize these regions.
“If power should come to the South and not the South East or North and not the North East, the essence for which the six geopolitical zones were created is long dead.
“To Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark, Deji Adeyanju, and a host of others who has stood firm in their support for their brothers in the South East, posterity will be kind to you.”
Members of the Ika South Artisans Association in Delta State have pledged support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates across five electoral positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The artisans made the declaration on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during an enlarged engagement with the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barr. Felix Morka, in Agbor, Delta State.
The meeting provided an opportunity for Morka to highlight the economic and infrastructural development efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, while addressing the concerns and empowerment needs of artisans.
SEE ALSO: Shettima Heads to Ebonyi for APC Presidential Campaign Rally
Morka described artisans as indispensable contributors to national development, noting that their skills and services were essential to sectors such as housing, transportation, infrastructure and other areas of everyday life.
Speaking on the economy, he defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, explaining that the government inherited significant fiscal challenges, including fuel subsidy payments and pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
He said the reforms had strengthened government revenues and increased the financial capacity of federal, state and local governments to execute development projects.
The APC spokesman also highlighted increased federal allocations to Delta State, saying the improved revenue position could accelerate infrastructure delivery and improve the lives of residents.
He cited major federal projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, alongside ongoing road construction and bridge projects, as evidence of the Federal Government’s infrastructure renewal efforts.
At the state level, Morka commended Governor Oborevwori for prioritising infrastructure development and executing projects aimed at improving connectivity and stimulating economic activities across Delta State.
Addressing the artisans’ concerns, he promised to facilitate their access to government empowerment programmes by identifying relevant federal and state initiatives and connecting the association’s leadership with the heads of agencies responsible for implementing them.
Morka also urged the participants to understand the constitutional responsibilities of elected officials and make informed decisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
He called on them to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, Oborevwori and other APC candidates.
He specifically appealed to women at the gathering to support greater female representation in elective offices, urging them to back the APC candidate for Ika South Constituency, Hon. Cordelia Anyagwu, in her bid for election into the Delta State House of Assembly.
Other APC leaders and stakeholders at the engagement included the Executive Chairman of Ika South Local Government Council, Hon. Engr. Jerry Ehiwarior; Dr. Donald Peterson; Hon. Emmanuel Osazuwa; Hon. Frank Izekor; and Hon. Cosmas Igbenije.
In their response, the artisans declared their readiness to support the APC across the five electoral positions of President, Governor, Senator, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.
Morka thanked the association’s leadership and members for their participation, assuring them that their concerns and aspirations would receive appropriate attention.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, alongside his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will visit Benue State on Wednesday for a town hall meeting as part of efforts to promote their vision for a new Nigeria.
The meeting, scheduled for 10:00 a.m on Wednesday, will take place at Mission House, beside Benue Links Park, Wurukum, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
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The visit is expected to provide an opportunity for the NDC presidential and vice-presidential candidates to engage residents of the state and communicate their political vision ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Announcing the visit, Obi described Benue as the Food Basket of the Nation and said the delegation was taking its message of a new Nigeria to the state.
“PO IN BENUE.
“We are taking the message of a New Nigeria to the Food Basket of the Nation today,” the announcement read.
The town hall meeting is part of the party’s political engagement activities as Obi and Kwankwaso seek to build support for their joint presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
Politics
Shettima Arrives Jigawa for APC Presidential Campaign Rally, Tinubu to Inaugurate Four Projects
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally alongside President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Shettima arrived at the Nuhu Muhammad Sanusi International Airport, Dutse, where he was received by Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, alongside governors from other states.
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The Vice President’s arrival was disclosed on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha.
Those present included Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Members of the National Assembly, senior government officials, APC stakeholders and other prominent political figures from across the country were also present to welcome the Vice President.
Before proceeding to the Dutse Township Stadium for the campaign rally, Shettima is expected to accompany President Tinubu to inaugurate four projects in the state.
The projects include the Renewed Hope Technical Services Centre, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Multipurpose Skills Acquisition Centre, Jigawa State’s agricultural mechanisation programme and a dualised road project in Dutse.
The initiatives are aimed at strengthening technical education, promoting skills acquisition, improving agricultural mechanisation and enhancing road infrastructure across the state.
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