National
10th NASS: Igbo Senate Presidency still alive, says Kalu
Senate Chief Whip and former Abia State governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu on Tuesday said intense campaign to ensure the election of an Igbo lawmaker as the Senate President during the forthcoming inauguration of 10th National Assembly, is still very much alive.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Kalu, who vowed not to step down from the Senate Presidency race, disclosed that himself and former Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Abdul’aziz Yari has formed an alliance to produce the next number three citizen of the country.
National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC had endorsed Senators Godswill Akpabio and Jibrin Barau for the positions of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectfully.
But in kicking against the party’s position, Kalu said what happened during Saraki is likely to happen on June 13, 2023 as himself and an influencial senator-elect, Yari are discussing who should be the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President.
He said: “I can’t step down for anybody. My group and Yari group are talking. No one zone can produce the President of the Senate.
“The partnership will be unveil. We are in talks and we have decided to be talking. That talk will be unveiled by our sponsors.
“Yari and I will be happy to follow what our sponsors decide.”
Kalu maintained that the two groups are strong and not about personal interest of their members, but that of the country and the success of the new administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“We are not looking for what to eat, we just want to support Tinubu to succeed. If people think what happened during Saraki will not happen again they are dreaming.
“We will congratulate who wins and if we win, they should congratulate us,” he said, adding that whoever wins, they will have to support him because in the next four years, they are going to be sitting in one chamber.
On why he has kept such an ambition secret for some time, Kalu said: “We have the largest press, but we decided to go underground.
“We will unveil our plans on 13th of June. Whether Yari-Kalu, or Kalu-Yari, we will not disappoint Nigerians,” he added.
On the transition that just took place following the swearing in of Tinubu as the President, Kalu said he is happy Nigeria transited to another civilian government without rancour.
“Tinubu should look into abandoned projects. He should look at the Ajaokuta Steel Company, the Jos Flour Mill Company and many other abandoned projects. Nigeria has over 11,000 abandoned projects which are taking over our debt servicing,” he lamented.
Kalu also advised that the ministries and parastatals that are no longer viable should either be scrapped or merged to save costs.
He said: “The Niger Delta Ministry should be scrapped. NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) should function because they are not supposed to report to the ministry.
“All those days of stealing money are gone. Tinubu is not looking for food to eat. People like us are not looking for food to eat. We want to work for Nigeria.”
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