The Orji Uzor Kalu Campaign Organization has commended Abia stakeholders comprising of traditional rulers, the political class, community leaders, traders and youth groups for announcing the Chief Whip of the Senate as the consensus candidate of the State to represent Abia North Senatorial District in 2023.
In a statement signed by Sunny Idika, spokesman of the campaign organization on Monday morning, described the endorsement as excellent, timely and far reaching.
“The Orji Uzor Kalu Campaign Organisation believes strongly that the choice of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu among the Abia North Senatorial candidates is a worthy move and a patriotic venture that aims at reducing unnecessary tension, acrimony and unhealthy diatribe among competitors and restore back to our politics the culture of rewarding performance and excellence.”
The statement lauded the stakeholders for a thorough and tremendous job, adding that, “It’s no secret that amongst all the senatorial candidates, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s impeccable leadership qualities, incredible performance, experience and sophisticated contacts dwarfs every other. After executing over 80 verifiable projects, Empowering Abia North youths with foreign scholarships to study medicine and surgery, sponsoring over fifty bills and moving over 30 motions in less than four years, Abia state stakeholders are only confirming what majority of Abians already know.”
Recall that a political group in Abia State, Concerned Abians Development Initiative (CADI), had endorsed Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as its consensus candidate for the 2023 Abia North Senatorial election.
The Leader of the group, Dr. Lawrence Ubani, in a statement issued on behalf of the group members in Umuahia, on 24th of December, 2022 stated that the entire stakeholders, various youth groups, traditional rulers and community leaders in the state were well pleased with the choice of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as the consensus candidate for Abia North Senatorial District election.
According to Ubani, “The group, therefore, calls on other candidates in the Abia North Senatorial race to accept the choice of Kalu for the interest of peace and development of the state and withdraw their aspirations to honour the decision of the leaders of the state.
“The group equally commends Distinguished Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for redefining the business of lawmaking by attracting dividends of democracy to Abia North Senatorial District and Abia State in general. What you’re doing in Abia North is unprecedented in the history of Abia State. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has attracted development across the three Senatorial District. If others achieved half of what you’re doing today, Abia North and indeed Abia State would be first in road network in Nigeria.”
Ubani, who is a renowned medical doctor, further called on other candidates in the race to accept the choice of Kalu in the interest of peace, unity and progress of the state.
He however, maintained that what Kalu needed is the corporation of political stakeholders to bring more development to the Senatorial District and Abia State in general.
“This is the time to shun bitterness and unite for the overall development of the state. We have seen that the political atmosphere is filled with bitterness, acrimony and jealousy. We must set them aside, unite and support a performing lawmaker like Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to bring more development to our state. Those contesting against should immediately step down for down. The right thing to do is to commend Senator Kalu for what he is doing and even beg him to run in 2023. We are using this opportunity to tell his opponents to all down step and join hand with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to bring more development to our state,” the statement said.