Nigeria News
Orji Kalu meets IBB over 2019 elections
-Former Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, meets former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida in a closed door meeting in Minna.
-The governor disclosed his support for a Northern President during the country’s general elections in 2019.
Former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu on Monday, held a closed door meeting with Former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) in his country home in Minna, Niger state.
According to Kalu after the closed door meeting, he said part of what they discussed is the need to allow the north produce Nigeria’s President in 2019 even if President Muhammadu Buhari decides not to contest the 2019 elections.
He also stated that other ethnic groups should be allowed to provide Nigeria’s President as from 2023 after the north has had its turns.
Asked about his ambitions for the 2019 Presidency if Buhari did not run, he said: “I am a Nigerian, I am entitled to it but like I will always say and I maintain my position that northerners should be allowed to complete their second term.”
“Other zones should be ready for 2023, but for now I still maintain my position and I am not afraid of anybody. This is the turn of the north. Anybody can take me for what I say.
“Whoever that is castigating me over this my position is wasting his time. I live by the truth and I will be ready to speak the truth always. Opinion is an entitlement, and that is my opinion given to me by God”, he added.
The former Governor also spoke on Nnamdi Kanu, he stated that “I did not say anything bad on IPOB, they have the right to carry their flags around and agitate but they don’t have the right to separate Nigeria”.
“People misunderstood my intention. I was just after peace because burning down our state (Abia state) wouldn’t have been the best. And again the lives of the over 15 million Igbos that are living in the north are more important than one person. That is the issue. So, we need to take control of the situation”.
He stated that agitations were often fueled by lack of Justice and fairness especially in providing basic amenities which was not peculiar to any region adding that “absence of all these amenities is responsible for whatever agitation you are seeing. Not only IPOB is being marginalized, every part of this country is being marginalized”.
He said “When I was coming I passed through the Minna-Suleja Road, I now concluded that not only the Eastern part of the country are being marginalized. All parts of the country are being marginalized. Nigeria and Nigerians need new orientation from A to Z, that is the only solution”.
