Orji Uzor Kalu Withdraws From Senatorial Race

Chief (Dr) Orji Uzor Kalu, for Governor of Abia state and Senatorial aspirant for the Abia-North District on the platform of People's Democratic Party (PDP) has withdrawn from the race. He has also demanded for a refund of the N5.5 million he paid as nomination fee.

 

He disclosed this in a letter, today, to the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, stating he was withdrawing from the race because the State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has allegedly concluded plans to handpick PDP aspirants for all elective positions in the state.

 

Kalu's letter says, “Since I was not screened, and neither did I go through any of the stipulated processes that lead to the emergence of candidates, I hereby also ask the party, as a measure of honour and good faith, to refund the nomination fees I paid. I will use the money to further empower my constituents in many other ways."

 

He also said, “Along the line, however, it became apparent that the Abia State Governor, Chief T.A Orji wants to handpick all candidates, both into executive and legislative positions. He wants to choose his own successor, fill the 24 House of Assembly seats, the eight federal constituencies and the three senatorial seats.

 

“Governor Orji knew ahead of time that he had a candidate in mind but deliberately allowed eminent Abia citizens like Dr. Alex Otti, GMD of Diamons bank to resign from his lofty position when he should have advised him to remain there.

 

“He also allowed Chief Emeka Wogu, minister of labour to resign and lose Abia slot in the Federal Executive Council and other ministerial committees; he equally allowed two ranking members of the Senate in the person of Senator Nkechi Nwogu, chairman Senate committee on oil and gas and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, chairman Senate committee on Media and Information to pick gubernatorial forms when he should have advised them to go for re-election in the senate.

 

“I find all these very disturbing. When Governor Orji was to be elected the first time in 2007, everyone knew where I stood three years before then that he was my anointed candidate. There was absolutely no ambiguity unlike now that he has allowed these people to lose their positions and resources chasing shadows. It is quite obvious that Governor Orji’s plan is to bring everybody down”.

 

Chief Orji Kalu said that there was no ward congress of the PDP in the state, that the Governor and his "collaborators" just compiled a list of delegates. He said this has made several party members to defect to other parties. He added that although some members of the party assured him that he would be screened last week, nothing of such happened and this made him come to the conclusion that the party has succumbed to the desire of Governor Orji.