Orji Kalu formally pulls out of presidential race, picks Senate form

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, has formally announced his withdrawal from the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

As the days draw nigh to the end of the President’s second term, the lawmaker said he would no longer vie for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Rather, he revealed that he has purchased the nomination and expression of interest forms of the APC to represent the people of Abia North Senatorial district again in the 10th National Assembly.

Senator Kalu announced his withdrawal from the presidential race on Monday in a statement to congratulate the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who is one of the presidential aspirants to obtain the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms recently.

He declared his absolute support for Senator Lawan and asked leaders and members of the APC to do the same in the spirit of equity and fairness.

The lawmaker explained that it was necessary to support the Senate President who is from the North East since the party did not zone its presidential ticket to the South East, stressing that only the two regions should be allowed to produce the next president.

Read the full text of Senator Kalu’s statement below:

I congratulate my friend, former roommate, and boss, Senator Ahmad Lawan as he picks form to run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

I am most glad because he is from the North East, the only zone alongside South East that is yet to produce the President of Nigeria. I have always maintained an unambiguous stand that for justice, equity, and fairness in our country, the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari should come from the South East or the North East.

I have also told Nigerians that I would only run for president if the two major political parties (APC and PDP) zone their tickets to the South East. That is why I was disappointed with our southern brothers who are talking about fairness and equity but have zero tolerance for the same fairness and equity in the South.

In the absence of a South Easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a North Easterner. This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness, and justice everyone is talking about. It further means that justice is on its way to the South East.

I thank those who said they have picked the presidential form for me because they meant well for Nigerians.

However, since there is no zoning and the contest is open to all Nigerians, I officially withdraw from the presidential contest in 2023. I have also picked a ticket to run for Abia North Senatorial zone and to complete the good work I started in Abia North.

I urge all my friends, allies, and supporters in the APC to toe the line of justice by supporting Senator Ahmad Lawan, a North Easterner for the presidential ticket of the APC”.

Signed

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

Chief Whip of the Senate

Federal Republic of Nigeria