The Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Kalu, says he is optimistic the All Progress Congress (APC) will clinch Saturday’s bye-election for Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency.
Kalu said this on Thursday when he hosted some clergymen in the state to a breakfast meeting in Aba.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former Abia governor (1999 to 2007) has been leading the campaign for his younger brother, Mascot, who is APC’s candidate for the poll.
In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia, Kalu stated: “I have no doubt that the popularity of APC is enough to win the Saturday bye-election.
“The execution of major road projects in Abia by President Muhammadu Buhari through the Niger Delta Development Commission has made APC more popular than other parties in Abia.
“There is no better time to be at the centre and enjoy infrastructure development than now.”
The statement further quotes Kalu to have scored successive administrations after his very low in terms of infrastructure development in Aba, the economic hub of the state.
“I am disappointed that since I left office in 2007, nothing tangible has been done in Aba.
“Those who knew Aba in 1998 before we came to power in 1999 will attest that we did a lot of work in Aba and brought glory to this city.
“But since we left, nothing tangible has been done to improve on what we did and the city needs more to take it to where it should be.
“What we need now is to declare Aba a disaster area so that the Federal Government can take extraordinary measures to fix the town,” Kalu stated.
He therefore urged Aba electorate to vote enmasse for APC in the bye-election, adding that the quickest way to fast track the development of the city was to hook Aba with the party at the centre.
“All the APC lawmakers in Abia have done well and effectively used their Zonal Intervention Projects for their constituents.
“APC believes in infrastructure development more than any other party and we will replicate the same in Aba,” he stated.
Kalu paid special tribute to the late representative of the constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Rep. Ossy Prestige, who died in February.
Kalu stated that the deceased brought landmark dividends of democracy to his constituents.
Responding on behalf of other clergymen, Onyebuchi Nwabueze, a pastor, thanked Kalu for the reception and assured him of their support for APC and Mascot on Saturday.
The statement also quotes Nwabueze to have hailed Kalu for his “quality representation for Abia North Senatorial District.
