A former Governor of Abia State and Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has confirmed his withdrawal from the presidential race. Kalu had earlier indicated interest in seeking to be the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.
However, Kalu Monday announced his withdrawal from the race following indications that neither the APC nor the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be zoning their presidential tickets to the South East.
The former governor disclosed that his decision to withdraw from the race was also borne out of the need to support the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan who joined the presidential race Monday with the purchase of the expression of interest and nomination forms.
Kalu said he was excited by Lawan’s entry into the presidential race, saying that move had provided an opportunity for the Northeast Zone, which had yet to produce Nigeria’s president, just like the Southeast, to do so.
In a statement he personally issued and sent to media houses, Kalu described Lawan’s action as an audacious political move.
Quote
“I congratulate my friend, former roommate and boss, Senator Ahmad Lawan as he picks form to run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC). I am most glad because he is from the North East, the only zone alongside South East that has yet to produce President of Nigeria.
“I have always maintained an unambiguous stand that for justice, equity and fairness in our country, the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari should come from the South East or the North East.
“I have also told Nigerians that I would only run for president if the two major political parties (APC and PDP) zone their tickets to the South East. That is why I was disappointed with our southern brothers who are talking about fairness and equity but has zero tolerance for the same fairness and equity in the South.
“In the absence of a South Easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a North Easterner. This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness and Justice everyone is talking about. It further means that the justice is on its way to the South East.
“I thank those who said they have picked presidential form for me because they meant well for Nigerians.
“However, since there is no zoning and the contest is open to all Nigerians, I officially withdraw from presidential contest in 2023. I have also picked ticket to run for Abia North Senatorial zone and to complete the good work I started in Abia North.
“I urge all my friends, allies and supporters in the APC to toe the line of justice by supporting Senator Ahmad Lawan, a North Easterner for the presidential ticket of the APC,”
the statement read.“I have always maintained an unambiguous stand that for justice, equity and fairness in our country, the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari should come from the South East or the North East.
“I have also told Nigerians that I would only run for president if the two major political parties (APC and PDP) zone their tickets to the South East. That is why I was disappointed with our southern brothers who are talking about fairness and equity but has zero tolerance for the same fairness and equity in the South.
“In the absence of a South Easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a North Easterner. This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness and Justice everyone is talking about. It further means that the justice is on its way to the South East.
“I thank those who said they have picked presidential form for me because they meant well for Nigerians.
“However, since there is no zoning and the contest is open to all Nigerians, I officially withdraw from presidential contest in 2023. I have also picked ticket to run for Abia North Senatorial zone and to complete the good work I started in Abia North.
“I urge all my friends, allies and supporters in the APC to toe the line of justice by supporting Senator Ahmad Lawan, a North Easterner for the presidential ticket of the APC,”
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