The Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, on Sunday cautioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) not to field a Southern candidate for the 2023 presidential election, after the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Kalu warned that doing so would plunge the ruling party into political retirement.
Senator Orji Kalu in a statement, congratulated the PDP for the victory of Atiku at tis primary. The Senate Chief Whip was of the view that Atiku’s emergence as the PDP candidate at the party’s presidential primary election is a reflection that Nigerians now understand his political calculations towards 2023 general elections.
Kalu declared that in the victory of Atiku, “it is no longer feasible to talk about Southern candidates except the APC wants to go on political retirement.”
The senator, therefore, demanded the APC National Chairman and the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to insist on zoning the APC presidential ticket to the Northeast.
Kalu also requested President Muhammadu Buhari to endorse the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, as APC presidential candidate for 2023.
Kalu declared: “In every democratic setting, presidents and governors support and pick their successors. I call on President Buhari to pick a successor from the Northeast and that will be the equity the Southeast needs. With the Northeast, the cycle will be closest to completion of regions producing the president of Nigeria.
“By now, all APC aspirants should drop their ambition and support a North Easterner. Senator Ahmad Lawan is the destination.”
Senator Kalu had earlier dropped his aspiration for the APC presidential ticket, declaring his support for Senate President Lawan.