From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu and Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Elder statesman and Nigeria’s first Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi yesterday threw his weight behind Dr Orji Uzor Kalu in the March 5, Abia North senatorial district rerun election .
Amaechi, who spoke to Daily Sun at his Ukpor, Anambra State country home yesterday said, support for the former Abia State governor should cut across party lines and explained that this should be done in the larger Igbo interest.
According to the foremost nationalist, happenings in the country today demand that the Igbo should have somebody of Kalu’s stature in the Senate to genuinely speak out for the Igbo nation.
Amaechi said he would have loved to visit the senatorial district to speak personally to the leaders of thought, political, traditional and religious leaders, and various political parties on the need to give Kalu the necessary support to win the poll, explaning Ndigbo needed the services of the former governor now in the Senate.
“I am no longer in partisan politics, I’m no longer active in major politics, but I am not apolitical. I’ve studied the situation in Abia North Senatorial District as it is now and I had wanted an opportunity to talk to the leaders of that senatorial district; traditional rulers, councillors, leaders of various political parties, to appeal to them that in this particular election, it’s in the interest of Ndigbo generally and that it’s for a special reason that somebody of the calibre of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu should take the seat.
“It is an act of God that, that seat is vacant now. I don’t know the other candidates. No doubt, they are good men and they are good Igbo men, but, there is a particular reason why in the face of the present situation, in the country vis-a-viz Igbo situation it is necessary, absolutely necessary and essential that somebody of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu’s calibre should be in the Senate and we want him in the Senate.
“I want people in that senatorial district to please support him and vote for him; let him go to the Senate. It does not mean that the others in my opinion are not qualified or are not good, but, this is in the overall interest; a purpose that we want him to achieve there and I am appealing to the voters in that constituency to do that for us in Igboland.”
Asked to give his reasons why Kalu should be in the Senate, the elder statesman said it was not something he would lay bare in the public, adding that “no good soldier exposes his strategy.”
He, however, noted that “the position of Ndigbo in Nigeria today is not a happy one and there is need to make an improvement. There is need to restore the old dignity and relevance of Ndigbo in Nigeria. Elders and leaders are consulting; it is not in our position to expose our strategy at this point. We are consulting; we are not going to leave things to stay as they are now.
“We want somebody like Orji Kalu, with his fighting spirit, his passion for Ndigbo and whatever he has and for strategic reasons, we prefer him to be there right now.”
…Gets more victory assurances from communities
From Okey Sampson, Bende
Hopes of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu winning the March 5 rerun poll heightened yesterday when more communities promised him their votes.
Kalu’s campaign train left his NEYA Camp country home at exactly 10.20 am and arrived Amurie Nkporo in Ohafia Local Government at 11.15am to a rousing welcome by the old and young who danced enthusiastically on seeing the former governor.
From Amurie, the entourage later moved over to Agbaja, Ndi Nko, Ndi Elu, Etitiama and Elugwu all in Nkporo.
At every point in Nkporo, the community of the deputy governor of the state, Chief Ude Oko Chukwu, their leaders, who included Chiefs Ndukwo Oju Uka Orji; Paul Ota Anagha; Otuwe Kalu Orji; Ndukwo Owu Chukwu, Otisi Agwu Ude and Orie Kalu Orjima enumerated Kalu’s good deeds for which they said they have decided to vote for him on March 5.
Apart from constructing the first tarred road in Nkporo, which they said none has been added since he left office, the people also recalled that more than 90 per cent of political leaders in the area, including the deputy governor, were made by Kalu. “During his eight years in office, Kalu made six sons of Nkporo commissioners in fact, 90 per cent of who is who politically in Nkporo, today, including the deputy governor, was made by OUK. Apart from that, it was during his administration that we had our first tarred road and electricity. We are not talking about the free education and free healthcare he gave our people which is more than enough to vote for him.”
From Nkporo, the campaign train moved over to Nkwebi, in Ohafia Local Government and from there, it moved to Eluoha; Okpo and Achara all in Arochukwu Local Government where it arrived at 6.30pm.
In all the communities Kalu went, the story was the same as the people showed him love and recalled his good works in office.
Addressing the communities, Kalu also recalled what he did for them when he was governor.
The business mogul said he would not know of any community in Abia North that did not benefit from his free healthcare, free education, schools rehabilitation and rural electrification, among others.
He said during his administration, he ensured that political positions went round the communities to the point that smaller areas which hitherto had no chance of producing even a local government chairman had one.
Kalu said this was payback time from the people, stressing that he had paid his dues well and that the people should reward him deservedly.
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