2023 Presidency: Uzor Kalu’s withdrawal, disservice to Ndigbo — Okonkwo

Fabian Okonkwo, an aspirant for Abia North Senatorial district on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), believes that the likes of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu should not be missing in the lineup for Presidential aspirants from the South-East geopolitical Zone considering his towering political stature.

He said the former Abia State Governor ranks high among first-level politicians from the zone that can give Ndigbo adequate and purposeful representation and therefore should join the presidential race.

Okonkwo who picked the Senatorial ticket to unseat Senator Orji Uzor Kalu said the media mogul should not just see him as eminently qualified for the exalted office of president but one that has built strong bridges across the country necessary to seek such office.

Reacting to the reported decision of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to drop his presidential ambition, he said Ndigbo would be losing one of her finest materials for 2023 and urged to rescind the decision.

Speaking shortly after procuring the expression of interest and nomination forms at the International conference centre Abuja argued that Kalu remains the most viable aspirant for the exalted seat of the presidency from the South-East geopolitical zone.

He decried the marginalisation of the south East geopolitical zone noting the likes of Kalu are needed at the center to address the imbalance, calling on him not to withdraw from the race for the presidency.

”Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is a former governor; he is not running for Senate. He is a leader in the South East. People look up to him. Ndigbo is looking up to Senator Orji Kalu. He is a big fish and a big player in the ocean. He should go there and play.

“I don’t think he has any business with the little senatorial district of Abia north. He has been a governor, he became governor same day Ahmed Tinubu became governor. He became governor same day the national chairman of the party became governor.

“He should play at that level. The Ibo nation is looking up to him to drive home the demand that an Igbo man emerge as President of this country. He should not abdicate that function to come back and swim in the canal of Abia north senatorial district. That would be very unfortunate.

“The Igbo nation would not forgive him. He is my leader. The Igbo man has been marginalised as far as Nigerian politics is concerned and that is what is required to bring them back to the mainstream,” he said.

He also reacted to the raging controversy over a form 18 tagged Voluntary Withdrawal Form, which all aspirants must endorse, saying he is not aware of its existence.

“I am not aware of any withdrawal form and I am not withdrawing for anybody. I have just collected the form and I will go and fill it and return it. What is natural in a democracy is for us to go for primaries,” he noted. (Daily Independent)