Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu’s abrupt departure and endorsement of Senate President Ahmad Lawan ahead of the 2023 presidential election has enraged Igbo youths.
Senator Kalu announced his resignation from the 2023 presidential contest on Monday, according to Anaedoonline.ng, after claiming that the main political parties did not specifically zone their presidential tickets to the South East.
Orji said that he will run for senator again in his Abia North senatorial zone.
2023: If South Can’t Support South East For President, Then North Can Have It – Orji Kalu
He also stated that if no southeast aspirant emerges as a candidate at the end of the exercise, he will support Senate President Ahmad Lawan of the North East, who has also purchased a form, stating that both the North East and the South East have experienced the same level of marginalization in Nigeria’s political system.
Reacting to the development, some Enugu youths who spoke with THE WHISTLER on Wednesday noted that the decision was ill-timed.
One Amaechi Eze, a student, said, “Orji Kalu is the highest ranking Igbo senator if not in the South East as a whole. His being vocal on national issues had endeared him to many.
“For him to withdraw his presidential bid because his friend Senator Ahmad Lawan obtained the form is to leave his faithful in the lurch. He should not be trusted.”
2023: Orji Kalu Withdraws From Presidential Race, Backs Lawan
Oliver Ogbuka said, “He did it so much in a rush. He didn’t consult South-East stakeholders. It was wrongly done because Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not relenting from consulting national stakeholders for a South-East presidency in 2023.
“Orji has shown that he is selfish and not a democrat. Sticking to a president of Nigeria of South-East extraction would have made him a hero. It doesn’t matter whether he wins or another Southeasterner wins or not. It is to make a statement against the injustices being meted to our people.”
Another social commentator, Osmond Odo, said, “Lack of Igbo consciousness is the bane of politics in South East. One wonders if Orji Kalu belongs to Ohanaeze. His aligning with North East is to betray his people.”
For John Okafor, a businessman, “Orji might be in the know of where the pendulum will swing. The truth is that both PDP and APC are not ready for a South-East president. Orji saved his money and political stake by trying to hold onto his senatorial seat. He might also be avoiding distraction should court reopens his alleged corruption case against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.”
Johnson Nriji said, “I’m left askance about Orji’s decision. He didn’t tell us if the 2023 presidency has been zoned to the North East officially. Why can’t he initiate a forum for deliberations between South-East and North-East stakeholders before arriving at any decision? His withdrawal dampened the spirit of many. It means there are things he hasn’t told us.”
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