As permutations towards the 2023 presidential elections continue to heighten, leading Southeast presidential aspirants in the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senators Orji Uzor Kalu and Rochas Okorocha met on Saturday afternoon in Abuja.
The duo, who are former governors of Abia and Imo States respectively, met in Abuja and held prolonged discussions behind closed doors.
According to sources, Senator Rochas Okorocha had initially visited the Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu at his Aso-Villa residence where they exchanged pleasantries after which they departed to Kalu’s residence to have lunch in the city centre where they both held discussions.
Although, details of the meeting were not disclosed, both Senators were captured on camera after the meeting.
The pictures suggested that the meeting was held at a popular mall in Abuja.
Kalu and Rochas were captured eating lunch and having discussions.
Shortly after the discussions, Rochas decked in blue native attire escorted Orji Kalu who was also decked in grey coloured Polo T shirt and black coloured Track pants.
Inside sources suggested that the meeting of the Southeast stalwarts of the ruling party centred on forging a united front for the actualisation of the emergence of a Nigerian President from Southeast zone.
The meeting is expected to put to rest the notion that the Southeasterners are not thinking of forging a common front by presenting and supporting one candidate.
The meeting comes amid clamour for the South-East to produce the next president in 2023 following the marginalisation of the zone since 1999.
Both Kalu and Rochas had declared interest in the presidency.
They both urged the APC to zone the ticket to the South-east zone to address the issue of marginalisation, and on the basis of fairness, equity and justice.
Rochas who recently declared his intention to run for the presidency joins the list of other presidential aspirants who had visited Orji Kalu at his Abuja home.
Recall that last November, a former Governor of Lagos state and 2023 presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, visited Kalu at his Abuja residence where both held a meeting behind closed doors, amid speculations that the former was eyeing the highest office in the land.
Days ago, the prospects of Nigerian President of Igbo extraction brightened following the declaration of leader of pan-Yoruba Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, to support the emergence of a president of Igbo extraction in the 2023 presidential election.
Adebanjo said this on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Wednesday.
According to the 94-year-old elder statesman, it was in the spirit of federal character and equity for the Igbo to produce the next President of the country.
He argued that the South-West produced former President Olusegun Obasanjo who led for eight years and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who served for almost eight years.
Adebanjo added that the South-South had also produced the President in the person of Goodluck Jonathan who was in office from 2010 to 2015.
The Afenifere leader said all the while, the South-East had been denied the Presidency.
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