The political landscape in Nigeria is always filled with twists and turns, and the 2023 presidential election is no exception. The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu, has recently stated that Nigerians are not ready for a President of the South-East extraction, which has sparked a lot of debate and controversy.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, made this statement while speaking on Channels Television’s programme, “The 2023 Verdict” on Wednesday. He believes that the South-East needs the support of five other regions for one of their own to become President, making the February 25 presidential election an uphill task for any Igbo candidate.
According to Kalu, the people of the South-East are the best professionals but not the best politicians, and they need to stop doing politics with emotions and start doing practical politics.
He also expressed his confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, will win in Abia State and the South-East zone, News About Nigeria reports.
Kalu’s dismissal of the chances of Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who is one of the presidential candidates of Igbo extraction, has also stirred up controversy.
He claimed that he is not sure Nigerians are yet ready for a President of Igbo extraction, having tried to nose around that.
However, his claim has been met with criticism and backlash from many people, who believe that Nigeria should have a President from every region of the country.
Furthermore, Kalu’s statement that five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), popularly known as the G5/Integrity Group, will work for Tinubu’s presidency has also raised some eyebrows.
The G5 is made up of Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and they have been at loggerheads with the PDP over the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Kalu believes that the G5 has made up their minds to work for Tinubu’s presidency, despite Ortom’s declaration of support for Obi. This has also sparked a lot of debate and controversy, as many people wonder what the G5’s decision means for the PDP and the 2023 presidential election.
