By Haruna Salami
As Nigerians witnessed torrents of declarations for 2023 presidential election, including the VP Yemi Osinbajo this week, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said he will only join the fray if his party, APC zoned the post to his South East.
The former Governor of Abia state said he has told Nigerians that if the presidency is zoned to the South East, he is already a candidate to beat.
He will become a candidate if there is a proviso that there is need to micro zone the highest office in the land to his village, if it is possible because
“I’m not desperate, but I’m anxious to change the way of living and economy of Nigeria, which is what I know how to do best. I can change the economy in four years. I can bring back the GDP to be competing with the U.S. and Japan and all the rest of them. I can bring back the capacity utilisation under 4,5 per cent to be rocking like a Hurricane.
As far as he is concerned, “anybody can declare for president, but will everybody get the presidency? The answer is no! So, we will work on that as a party and I will come back to consult our party members.
On what efforts he is making to ensure APC zones the president to South East, the former governor said he is doing nothing, as it is the decision of the party; which he said is “supreme”.
“If they zone it to South East, I’m number one candidate. The only two zones that have never been president in Nigeria are the Northeast and Southeast. So, if they bring it to my zone, I have everything it takes to deliver victory to APC, not by talking, but by action and rework the economy that every Nigerian, no matter where you live or stay will be happy in your pocket, in your house, in your electricity, in your water and everything and bring back the pride of Nigerians to carry Nigerian passport. This I can do.
As Kalu is hoping the presidency will be zoned to South East, it is no secret that other prominent Nigerians from the zone like the David Umahi of Ebonyi state are aspiring too not to talk of many in the PDP, he said “all the candidates know themselves. You people think this politics is a joke.
“Everybody say (sic) they are presidential aspirants. What is their public experience, their capacity to build? I employed 13,000 workers in Nigeria and I have the capacity to manage people.
Politics is just the ability to make everybody happy, that is what it is all about. It is not about who becomes president. President is about openness, it is about ability to manage: to manage you journalists, ability to manage mechanics, professors, legislators like Ahmad Lawan. You have to manage them. That is what policies is all about.
“Many people come in just because they want to answer the name president. They are anxious to become president, are they ready to work? A president should be someone who is able to work for Nigerian people.
“There are two things the president should look at – the economy and security; these are the focus point, to bring our economy back on track.
