Former Abia State Governor and Senate Majority Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared himself the most influential politician from the South-East, dismissing the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as less significant in the region’s political landscape.
Kalu made the remark during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Wednesday. When asked whether the South-East should rally behind Obi ahead of future elections, the senator, who represents Abia North, declined to discuss Obi in detail.
“I’m a member of the APC and I don’t want to discuss Peter Obi,” Kalu said. “Each time you mention him, I become uncomfortable because I’ve told you before — any day you want to discuss Peter Obi with me, give us two hours, put him there, and put me here. Then we’ll sort it out.”
Pressed further on whether Obi had become the political leader of the South-East, Kalu firmly rejected the notion.
“He’s not my leader. I am the most important politician from that zone,” he said.
Citing his political track record, Kalu recalled his role in founding and leading the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), under which he claimed to have controlled two states and secured federal appointments during the Yar’Adua administration.
“I ran for president in 2007 and got 4.9 million votes. We achieved a lot with PPA — ministers, ambassadors, and other key appointments,” he said.
On his future political ambitions, the former governor said age would not deter him from running for president if the opportunity arises, referencing former US President Donald Trump as an example of a leader whose age did not limit his capacity.
“If I’m healthy and God gives me life, I can still contest,” Kalu said. “The question is not age, it’s competency. It’s about what is in my brain and what I can deliver.”
