By Chidi Levi
A former two-time Governor of Abia State, and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu has had his hope of spending both Christmas and New Year with family and friends dashed.
Convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, two weeks ago, by Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a-39 Count charge of embezzling the sum of N7.2billion, while serving as governor, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kalu had applied for bail, pending the suit he filed at the Court of Appeal, challenging his conviction.
In asking for bail, he said he needed to see his herbalist over his failing health. He, also, said he needed to go back to his work at the Senate.
But ruling on the bail application on Monday, December 23, the Hon Justice Liman rejected Kalu’s request.
The Judge wondered why he quickly filed for bail when his appeal to over-turn his conviction was still pending at the Court of Appeal.
The refusal is in line with the fate that befell former Governors Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye of Taraba and Plateau states, respectively, whose requests for bail were, also, denied before their appeals against their conviction at the Court of Appeal were decided.
Both men lost at the Court of Appeal, and are serving various jail terms in prison.
Meanwhile, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu may soon kiss goodbye to his Senate seat.
This magazine has learnt that the former governor’s traducers, including, some of his own All Progressives Congress, APC, party men in Abia, are working on a two pronged strategy to get him out of the Senate.
The Court Option
One of the strategies, allegedly, being deployed against Senator Kalu is the Judiciary. It was gathered that in the coming weeks, some groups in Abia will approach the court, praying it to declare Kalu’s seat vacant on the account of his conviction and imprisonment for corruption.
The anti-Kalu groups, this magazine (https://thesourceng.com) was told, will insist that the former governor has lost the moral compass to remain in the seat, and that his constituents do not want a convict to continue to represent them from prison.
Recall Looms
There is also the recall plot which this magazine was told is already in full swing. Elements behind the moves to recall the embattled former governor from the Senate are said to have mobilized, and will start collecting signatures of voters in Abia North Senatorial district, which Kalu represents in the Senate immediately after the Christmas and new year festivities.
APC, PDP, Collaborate to Castrate Him
Multiple party sources in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, and in the National Assembly, were emphatic at the weekend that the plot to politically castrate the jailed Senator has assumed bi-partisan dimension.
In Abia, some APC chieftains see Kalu as a usurper who hijacked the party from the original founders. This category of party chiefs are said to be involved in the push to either recall the Senator, or get the Senate to declare his seat vacant in March 2020 by which time he would have spent 90 days in prison should he fail to secure bail, which has now failed as he was rejected bail on Monday.
It was gathered that a number of party chiefs in Abia North are already queuing up to be selected as APC’s Senatorial candidate to replace Kalu in the expected by-election.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state is, also, involved in the plan to abbreviate Kalu’s stay in the Senate. Though both the Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court validated Kalu’s election to the Senate, the PDP still believes that its candidate, in the election, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, squarely and freely defeated the former governor.
The party insists INEC assisted Kalu to rob Senator Ohuabunwa of his alleged resounding victory at the polls
Following Kalu’s travails, party sources confirm that the state PDP has activated its machinery in Abia North in readiness, according to one of the sources, to “reclaim our Senate seat which INEC robbed us of”.
Ohuabunwa, himself, is reportedly waiting in the wings to fly the PDP flag again.
The 2023 Connection
In the Senate, some elements in the APC who fear Kalu would throw his hat in the ring for either the Presidential or Vice Presidential ticket of the party, thereby reducing their own chances, this magazine was informed, are mounting pressure on the Senate President, Dr.Ahmed Lawan, to declare the jailed former Abia governor’s senate seat vacant as soon he clocks 90 days in jail.
The Source cannot, however, confirm if the Senate President will yield to the pressure. But a source hints that the arrowheads of the push may resort to the court to compel the Senate President to do their bidding after Kalu’s 90 days in jail.
