Tinubu Meets Kalu, Says National Interest Greater Than Personal Ambition

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, on Saturday met behind closed doors with in Abuja with a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, The PUNCH reports.

Emerging from a two-hour closed-door meeting, Tinubu declared that the interest of Nigeria was greater than an ambition of any individual.

Tinubu, according to sources, arrived at the Kalu’s residence at exactly 4:25pm on Saturday.

The two politicians were said to have hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries, before going into a private discussion.

The source explained that Kalu,   before the closed door meeting, expressed gratitude to God for Tinubu’s speedy recovery.

The former governor of Lagos States in a brief interview with Kalu’s media team after the meeting described the interaction between him and Kalu as strictly personal.

When asked to confirm whether the visit had anything to do with the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu was quoted to have said, “I am here on a private visit. We discussed national interest issues, the economy and other issues bordering on security.”

On the issue of 2023 election, the APC national leader simply responded that, “National interest is greater than the personal ambition of any individual.”

Tinubu, returned to Nigeria on October 8 after spending some months in London, where he had a knee surgery.

The reason for their meeting was not yet made known to journalists but it might not be unconnected with some political and economic developments in the country.

The visit comes amidst talks that both men are being strongly positioned for the 2023 presidency to succeed the incumbent President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Both men were former governors of their respective states from 1999 to 2007.

While Tinubu was a former Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu is the current Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District in the 9th Senate.

Kalu, whose presidential campaign posters have been circulating in the East, had claimed in October that he was under pressure to run for President in 2023.

Tinubu is widely rumoured to also be nursing a presidential ambition, with many of his supporters already trying to sell the idea to Nigerians.