The Chairman of the group SS/SE Youths For Tinubu 2023 (SS/SEYFT) has extolled Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, calling him a man, generally accepted beyond political parties. Speaking after an executive meeting held in Umuahia, on Sunday, for the planning to ensure victory in the Tinubu presidential future, Amb Francis called on the Chief Whip of the Senate, who is one of Tinubu’s strong ally in the southeast region, not to be concerned with some of the media passes on him to deter him from supporting fully Tinubu, in the 2023 elections.
Ambr. Bernard Francis recalled that Orji Uzor Kalu had always been committed and had supported whoever was the presidential flag bearer of his political party and as such, has no reasons not to support Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 elections.
He said “We are putting our heads together to see that a president emerged in the 2023 presidential election. Not just a president, we anticipate a president that can do the biddings of Nigerians, a president that can quench the security and economic situations of the nation.
“The coming election is going to be different from other elections. This time, it’s going to be based on individual capacities and not that usual voting along party lines. People ask us why we are supporting a president from the West who is as a matter of facts an APC candidate, when we have someone from the southeast also in the race?
“Well, the answers are in distinct permutations and are straight forward, values, by the countenance of the candidates in the Presidential elections from different parties, the APC still showcases the best among all in the person of Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Hence, We will not vote on the premises of just how well President Buhari, had discharged his duties as President. Like our leader Orji Kalu would always say, ‘that President Buhari is an individual. To say Tinubu should not be voted for based on how it’s perceived of his party’s performance is an attempt to strangle Nigerians from experiencing good governance’. We must avoid voting out of sympathy. The way Tinubu had lived his life isn’t same trajectory President Buhari lived his, they are two separate Nigerians with different ideologies and ways of life.
“Nigerians should not recognize any ethnocentric leader who will never have the interest of Nigeria’s unity at heart. We should not also vote for a candidate because he is a motivational speaker neither should Nigerians, buy into those using words to excite the public, following the nation’s economic status and insecurity predicaments. As a matter of facts, in a country like this, where hunger and insecurity have resulted in public disdain, motivational speakers always would have their ways of manipulating the mind of the people with promises, most times, these promises eludes people’s memories in making the right decisions. We should not be cut up with such predicaments nor use such parameters in searching for a president in this critical time of the nation. 2023 elections is all about individual capacities, public engagements and performances per head to be reckoned with, at the time of the services of those who are on the ballot.
“In all of this, the value of Tinubu still resonates the hemisphere of Nigeria, especially Lagos state and the western states. The foundation he laid are still the structural tripods of successive governors, in Lagos today. Lagos, is still that very state, Nigerians, desire to go to in search of daily bread, in comparison with other states of the federation.
“Tinubu is a man of absolute qualities, he believe in team work and unity of purpose. That is why, you can still see that those who worked with him are still willing to ensure his aspirations for the 2023 presidential race. It takes a good leader to hold the structure he started politics with for over decades together, in such leaders, the unity of Nigeria can be trusted, we must grab such qualities of a leader”. He said.
Speaking on if Tinubu can accumulate some votes from the southeast, following some said political rankles in some states, such as Abia State, Amb. Francis, said that there had not been any direct statements from any of the APC stakeholders or had he seen official reports on division among those that saw president Buhari through the victory of the 2019. He however noted that lot of things are bound to happen, especially, having the potentials like Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, in the system whom other politicians would want to recon with, saying.
“If president Mohammadu Buhari could get votes from the Southeast, why do you now think Tinubu can not? See, politics is not by what you see on the prints and media. Politics is all about where the interest of the people stand. The election is still a long way ahead and the period given by INEC is enough to change so many public notions by enlightening Nigerians, before the election. Nigerians will in due course, be able to see beyond Tinubu, just been an old man. Nigerians will eventually find solace in the wisdom and foresights of a compatriots like Tinubu and what he can deposit in Nigeria.
“With His Excellency Hope Uzodinma, as an existing governor of Imo state, you can’t say Tinubu won’t get votes from the Southeast. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, is also committed and had supported whoever was the presidential flag bearer of his political party and in 2023, he can not be written off also in his region in supporting Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Orji Kalu is a very strong political character in the Southeast. Hate him or like him, the people are forever with him, for what he do. For any politician to take the people from Orji Kalu, in his area of senatorial jurisdiction, that politician must have done his home work greater than what Orji Kalu, have done for the people and we mean those things they’ve seen him do, with their eyes.
“You can’t come and confuse Abia North people to vote for you, with promises of what you’ll do for them if voted for. Come on, no longer in a civilised society where the people have someone tested and certified for the job, that’s the situation Abia North is at the moment and it’s same for Tinubu in other areas of the SE/SS regions where he has political figures of unquestionable political attitudes.
“As for Abia North, There had not been any direct statements from any of the APC stakeholders neither have we seen official reports on division among those that saw president Buhari through the victory of the 2019. They all got their return tickets back to their respective elected positions. They did well and the people can attest to that. Their victory back to government is a positive advantage to Bola Tinubu”.
When asked about the rumours of the Senate Chief Whip, Sponsoring people in Other parties, Ambr. Francis said that Orji Uzor Kalu, had always been accused of such without verifiable evidence, as he said.
“Had there been any elections that people don’t accuse Orji Kalu, for sponsoring people in other political parties? Orji Uzor Kalu, is a politician that is accepted beyond political parties, his performance is our yardstick. Let me tell you, politicians like Orji Kalu would always encounter such. The network of Orji Uzor Kalu is unimaginably without ends. When people come out in their free will to run for elections, their past or present relationship with Orji Kalu, is misinterpreted by politicians and they tend to feed such misleading information as propaganda to the public.
“This is also what is happening in respect to Hon Mascot Kalu’s governorship aspirations. Propagandists are turning it against Orji Kalu already. This is highly myopic to think. Mascot Kalu is an Abia citizen like every other contestants in Abia state. What other candidates saw, that made them want to contest to be governor, is something Hon. Mascot have also seen. He has the right to offer himself for the governorship services to the state in his capacity.
“Orji Kalu, can not stop Hon Mascot from contributing his quota into nation building. It is natural for those kind of propaganda anyway, I believe Orji Kalu must have prepared to face such, the moment Mascot Kalu left The APC. It was even speculated then that Orji Kalu refused to support his brother in the APC, hence, his defection from the APC. You can see that all this things are just speculations , they don’t really hold water! People should just learn to leave Orji Kalu to focus on his call to public service, he’s doing the job well and the people are testifying to it.
“It was also speculated that Orji Kalu was silent during the APC party primaries and I asked, was Orji Kalu Supposed to buy forms for people or was he supposed to force any candidates on the party ? Is it not the same people that pointed accusingly at Orji Kalu, that he dictated who became what, in previous elections? Now it’s obvious and the people can see that Orji Kalu had never dictated for the people who ran elections in Abia State”.
Speaking further on the elections, Amb Francis, stated the commitments of the SE/SS Youths for Tinubu 2023, towards the coming elections. He said the group will not stop the continuous education of Nigerians in making the right choice in the coming elections, as he said.
“We are committed in this elections to educate the public, especially the youths that are just getting involved in politics. Some may have been disappointed in one way or the other, with lies by political hunters, there by, they could fall into the hands of wrong politicians without ideologies or way forward for Nigeria. The society need proper enlightenment so that we don’t plunge our economy into deeper mesmerising situations. We’re happy to have programs lined up to this effect and we will execute them in due time”. He added.
