Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Wednesday, affirmed that the lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District for re-election in 2023 Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has consistently stood by his people since he was constitutionally elected to the National Assembly in 2019.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, condemned smear campaigns against the former governor of Abia State by some politically motivated critics such as one Emenike Iroegbu and his co-travellers.
The group noted that contrary to the malicious statements peddled around, Senator Orji Kalu’s position and contribution to the assent to the 2022 Electoral Act is not hidden from any conscientious fellow.
The lawmaker was amongst the 52 senators who on July 15th voted in the red chamber for the Independent National Electoral Commission to seek clearance from the Nigerian Communications Commission before transmission of results electronically.
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“In fact, the Senate’s Chief Whip in the buildup to primaries of political parties had appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Amended Bill seeking to enable statutory delegates to vote at the conventions and congresses of political parties as outlined in Section 84 (8) of the now assented bill.
Continuing, Onwubiko said, “In terms of constituency projects, Senator Orji Kalu outperforms every other senator in the South-East if you take a survey from conscientious persons in the zone despite that all the federal lawmakers are given the same amount for constituency projects. Without doubt, Senator Kalu has done so much when it comes to road projects, building and equipping of schools and hospitals; he has done a lot for his people in all entirety.
“That the senator made an argument over the Electoral Amendment bill last year on the electronic transmission of results doesn’t translate to him not representing his people qualitatively. Emenike Iroegbu and his co-travellers are wrong.
“One of the politicians must have hired his services to run down the senator as if there is sufficient coverage. Until tomorrow in some places in the South-East, it is only MTN that is active. There are places in the South-East that it is only Glo that works. So, the coverage in terms of communication is still limited and the senator’s argument is germane.