Sunday Aborisade, Abuja
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Kalu, has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would make Nigerians proud after its national convention on February 26.
Kalu, who is representing Abia North in the Senate, gave the assurance on Wednesday, while briefing journalists on his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night.
He also said he would seek a re-election to the Senate if the APC decided not to zone Presidency to the South-east geopolitical zone.
On the APC convention, Kalu said: “I am expecting very good convention, very good atmosphere we are going to make Nigerians proud after the convention.”
Kalu said aspirants from the South-west geopolitical zone who were seeking to contest the presidential election on the platform of the APC were not being fair to the South-east and North-east geopolitical zones which had never produced the president since 1999.
He said: “We want the party to officially zone the Presidency to the South. The two zones that have not tasted the presidency are the South-east and the North-east.
“Once they zone it to either the South-east or North-east, I have the capacity and the capability I will roll and I will rock like a hurricane. Aspirants from the South-West are pushing but they are not serious. A serious minded person will like to be fair to Nigerians, fair to the society and to be fair to the atmosphere.
“This is because the party is not owned by me or you the media. This party is owned by Nigerians and the APC members.It is only APC that can decide like at the forth coming convention where the Presidential ticket will be zoned to. If they zone it to the South- East I have everything it takes to make a good president.”
Asked what he would do if the party did not zone the presidency to the South-east, Kalu said: ” I will come back to the Senate and sit in the Senate as I am sitting.”
He further added:”I don’t believe in Igbo presidency but I believe in Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.It is over due for the Igbo to be President. I believe that we should produce the next President and it is going to happen. I don’t need to push, I have to push along with the other regions.”
Asked whether he was consulting already, he said, “No, because it is not yet the time.”
Asked to provide more information on his visit to the President, Kalu said, “This is not the first time that I will go to see the president.”
He said, “Presidency is a place where people go in the afternoon, I went there in the night to avoid the media.
“I go there regularly. its a family affair and I went there to discuss national issues, issue of security, issue of well being of our country and issue of the electoral act.
“The discussion was very fruitful and it was held in the night, is that why you should come to ambush me?
