Orji Kalu To President Buhari: “I Want To  Be Senate President”

By Akinwale Kasali

Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has declared his intention to vie for the Senate President’s Seat.

For weeks, the former Abia State Governor, has been lobbying for the position of the Senate President.

Kalu, who met with President Buhari in a closed door meeting in Aso Rock  disclosed to Newsmen that  he was open to vying for the Senate Presidency of his Party,  the All Progressives Congress, APC, would zone the office to the South-East.

Kalu representing Abia North District, argued that zoning the office to the South-East would ensure the stability of the incoming administration.

According to him, although the APC did not garner considerable votes from the region, zoning the Senate Presidency to the region would bring peace to the country.

The lawmaker argued that the South-East contributed much more to Nigeria than just votes for APC.

Kalu added that he presented his Certificate of return to the President while appreciating him for his support towards the people of Abia North.

He said, “I was received this afternoon by President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) in the State House. It was an honour to present my Certificate of Return  to Mr President and to thank him for the attention he gave Abia North Senatorial District in the last three years.

“I also intimated Mr President of my intention to run for the office of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.”

Kalu had, last week Tuesday told the All Progressive Congress and the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to zone the Senate Presidency to his village in Igbere in Abia North Senatorial District, Abia State to prevent any other lawmaker from contesting against him.

Exactly a week ago, Kalu openly declared his intention to contest for Senate presidency of the 10th National Assembly, if the party zones the position to South-East.

He said, “If they want to zone, they should zone it to my village so nobody would contest it against me. I don’t even want them to zone it to the South.

“The party should zone it to Igbere in my ward because I am the only Senator from there. You can manufacture another Senator from another Local Government from another place in Abia. I would like the party to zone it to me, with my name.”

Other Senators who have openly declared their intentions to run for the Senate Presidency are Senator Jibrin Barau (Kano Central), Sani Musa (Niger East) and Engr. Dave Umahi,  the outgoing Governor of Ebonyi State. There are, also, strong speculations that a former Governor of Akwa Ibom who was a former Minority Chief Whip, and the immediate past Minister for Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio is also in the race, and so is Senator Osita Izunaso, Imo West.