Why there may be no president from South-East for now – Orji Kanu

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu, on Wednesday, said Nigerians are not ready for a president from the Igbo extraction.

Speaking on the 2023 general elections during a Channels Television programme, ‘The Verdict’ on Wednesday, the former governor of Abia State said Saturday’s presidential election would not be the best outing for the Igbo people despite having one of the popular candidates, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, as their son.

The APC Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District emphasised the need for the region to amass bulk votes from five other regions to be victorious. 

Dismissing the chances of Obi emerging victorious in the polls, Kalu said “I’m well-experienced; I ran for President in 2007 and I’m sure Nigerians are not yet ready for a President of Igbo extraction. 

“I’m not sure because I have tried to nose around that. We have five other regions to come up with and I am not sure.

“The people of the South-East are the best professionals but not the best politicians.

“We do politics with emotions and I want Igbos to stop doing politics with emotions; I want Igbos to do practical politics.”

Speaking on the candidate adopted by the People Democratic Party aggrieved governors popularly known as G5, Kalu said they are silently working for the victory of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu.

However, the G-5 comprising governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) have not openly declared their support for any presidential candidate despite welcoming the candidates who come into their state for campaigns.

PUNCH