Former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu
on Monday withdrew from the 2015 senatorial
race.
In a letter dated November 24, 2014 and
addressed to the National Chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu
Muazu, the former governor said he was
withdrawing from the race because the Abia
State Governor, Theodore Orji, was bent on
imposing his handpicked aspirants on the party
in the state.
Kalu said: “Along the line, however, it became
apparent that the Abia State Governor, Chief
T.A Orji wants to handpick all candidates, both
into executive and legislative positions. He
wants to choose his own successor, fill the 24
House of Assembly seats, the eight federal
constituencies and the three senatorial seats.
“Governor Orji knew ahead of time that he had
a candidate in mind but deliberately allowed
eminent Abia citizens like Dr. Alex Otti, GMD of
Diamond Bank to resign from his lofty position
when he should have advised him to remain
there.
“He also allowed the Minister of Labour, Chief
Emeka Wogu to resign and lose the Abia slot in
the Federal Executive Council and other
ministerial committees, he equally allowed two
ranking members of the Senate, Senators
Nkechi Nwogu and Enyinnaya Abaribe to pick
gubernatorial forms when he should have
advised them to go for re-election into the
Senate.
“I find all these very disturbing. When Governor
Orji was to be elected the first time in 2007,
everyone knew where I stood three years before
then that he was my anointed candidate. There
was absolutely no ambiguity unlike now that he
has allowed these people to lose their positions
and resources chasing shadows. It is quite
obvious that Governor Orji’s plan is to bring
everybody down.”
While maintaining that there was no ward
congress in Abia state, Kalu said the governor
and his “collaborators” just compiled the list of
delegates and this has forced some members of
the PDP to defect to other parties.
He warned that it is dangerous for PDP to hang
all its hope on one man, as elections are won
by collective efforts and not as a solo run.
Kalu was seeking the ticket for the Abia North
senatorial district on the platform of the PDP.
Dailytimes.
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