All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart and former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu on Tuesday gave insight into how the winner of the February 16. 2019 election will emerge, saying majority from Northern Nigeria would determine the winner.
According to Kalu, experience has shown that whoever clinches majority of the votes from that region always emerges as President.
He said he was confident that President Muhammadu Buhari will be reflected because to already garnered over 14.9 million votes to emerge as the flag bearer of the ruling APC during its primaries.
Speaking on arrival at a private hangar at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Kalu said with over 14.9 million votes already in his basket, it would be easier for Buhari to coast home to victory.
This is just as Kalu affirmed that with the infrastructural revolution embarked upon in the South Eastern region, the President will shore up his electoral changes better that he did in 2015.
He said people of the region have come to realize that President Buhari , who was painted in different light , has shown more love for the Igbos through the many projected executed in the region.
He cited the payment of pension to Biafrian Soldiers and Police; payment of severance benefits to former workers of Nigeria Airways Limited ; Nigerian Railways Corporation and massive road construction across the South East.
Kalu said Buhari will do well electorally in Anambra State, with a projected 50 per cent of the votes cast; while he will pull over 35 per cent of votes cast in Enugu; and 50 per cent in Ebonyi; whereas in Imo State , Buhari will pull 52 per cent ; will up the ante by pulling between 51 and 65 per cent in Abia State.
Kalu said there was no division amongst South Easterners on the choice of Buhari being reelected.
He said cautioned the Igbo socio cultural organization : Ohaneze Ndi Igbo against turning the group into a political party, because they do not have the mandate to tell Igbo people, which party or candidate to cast their votes for.
He said because Ohaneze comprises people of different political parties ,it will be wrong for them to endorse the Alhaji Abubakar Atiku of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) as its preferred candidate.
Kalu however spared a thought for the international community : European Union, United States and United Kingdom on their interference on Nigeria’s presidential election.
He said as global stakeholders they should advise o. How to achieve peace and transparent elections, and allow Nigerian voters to willing fully determine their leaders through the polls .
According to Kalu, he described Buhari as a true democrat , who will peacefully move to his Daura home town, in any event that he loses the presidential election, which he does not envisage.
Speaking on his senatorial ambition, he said the APC will not tolerate any act of electoral malpractice as was allegedly practiced in 2015 by the then ruling party.
Kalu said he was intimated by agents of government and security forces, who positioned four armoured tanks in front of his Igbere country home to pave the way for his opponent.
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to beam their searchlight on some constituencies in Abia State that are flash points of electoral manipulation .
Kalu appealed to parents to caution. Their children and wards to eschew being used for political thuggery as the people will rise to defend their votes if some politicians try to usurp the process.
He took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he said wants to control every sitting president .
Kalu said Obasanjo likes to live on government , for life to eat free food , use government facilities for life.
He said :” He brought corruption to government in 1999, Atiku who is good now, was bad to him before . No one is good to Obasanjo. He wants to remain relevant for life, this is his character . This same Obasanjo squandered over $16 billion on the power sector .
” The EFCC chairman , Ibrahim Magu should do his job and bring up all petitions written about Obasanjo. I challenge him to do so.”
Kalu said he was recuperating fast and that his illness that took him overseas was not a ploy to escape on going trial by the EFCC.
He said he found it appalling that rather than put themselves in his shoes as human that could fall ill, some Nigerians were spreading rumours that he was in coma and may have died and a certain George from Gambia was paraded as his look alike .
Kalu said he did not join the APC to escape justice as being alleged in some quartets , insisting that Buhari does not spare anyone who violates the law on account of personal friendship.
He said :” Buhari does not joke with what he believes in no matter who who are . the Buhari I know for almost 32 years has always being like they .”
He urged Nigerians to stop abiding the judiciary for their doing their work, as anybody who disagrees with the ruling of one court should challenge it in another court.
