One of the best and worst things about politics in Nigeria is the consensus nature that typically underlies it. Even with the democratic system of government, there is often an agreement that one group should represent a people while the other group waits for its turn. Some people think that this is what helped President-elect Bola Tinubu win the presidential elections.
Is Orji Uzor Kalu, the Senator for Abia North senatorial district, able to duplicate Tinubu’s success as an aspirant for the Senate President position?
One of the reasons many people flocked to and out of the canopy of Tinubu was his audacity in claiming that it was his turn to be president. That boldness offended some people and gave others an idea of the man’s confidence. Now that it looks like Kalu is attempting to accomplish his ambition for the Senate Presidency, will he also raise the kind of waves that Tinubu raised? And if yes, will Tinubu approve of him?
Kalu piqued many interests when he declared that he believes that it is his turn to be Senate President. According to reports, Kalu based his supposition on him being a ranking lawmaker and from the South-east. The current Chief Whip also stated that he has experienced every bit of Nigeria and is worthy of being Senate President on that account, indicating that he would be fair to all if given the chance.
But Kalu is not the only person interested in the position. Even among those in his All Progressives Congress (APC), Kalu is just one of many. Others include Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom, Sani Musa from Niger, Barau Jibrin from Kano, and Dave Umahi from Ebonyi. Given this diversity, Tinubu may have to choose the Senate President from among them. But the President-elect has declared that he has no preferred candidate.
Knowing the influence of his fellow aspirants and the seeming indifference of the President-elect, does Kalu stand a chance at being Senate President? Only time will tell.
