Defections: APC Shaken But Will Come Out Stronger — Orji Kalu

Chief Orji Kalu, one time Abia State Governor, has added his voice to the reactions attending the defections going on in Nigeria. Although he admitted that the defections in the past one week have somewhat shaken the All Progressives Congress, the party, like gold that becomes better after passing through fire, will come out stronger.

Kalu said this when journalists accosted him at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday 1 August and pressed him to react to the defections in the land and his rumoured plan to dump APC for the People’s Democratic Party.

In his words: “The APC is in trouble right now but we will come out of it. It is always good for people to know that there are problems and knowing that there are problems, we will be able to find solutions to them.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has handled the issue very well. We have not seen him abusing anybody because defection is a thing of choice and we as APC, under the chairmanship of Mr Adams Oshiomhole, are fine-tuning solutions on how to address these issues.’’

He seized then opportunity to, as NAN puts it, reveal his plan to run for the Abia North Senatorial Seat under the platform of the APC in 2019, in order “to attract more development to the people of the constituency.”

He boasted: “I am going to be a very strong voice in the Senate. I am going to make a lot of difference like I did when I was in the House of Representatives during the President Ibrahim Babangida regime.

Kalu added: “I was the one who sponsored the Bill for dual citizenship which was the only law Babangida signed as president.

“So, apart from my constituency and the Abia people knowing that they have a senator, I am also going to work for the benefit of all Nigerians, especially by ensuring that there is a cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.

On the rumpur that he was planning to leave APC, Kalu denied: “There is nothing like that. I am not going back to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). You know I left the PDP since 2006 and I have never been back there.

“I was a member of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) before joining the APC in 2016, because I found out that Nigeria had become a two-party system.

“Honestly, going back to the PDP is not really an option for me. I will rather go to my farm in Igbere and take up farming, instead of going back to the PDP.

“So there is no truth in the rumour. It is just people that are afraid that they will lose Abia with me standing behind the APC that are behind it.’’