With Ahmad Lawan in the race for APC’s presidential ticket, ecstatic Orji Kalu confirms his withdrawal from race

With Ahmad Lawan in the race for APC’s presidential ticket, ecstatic Orji Kalu confirms his withdrawal from race▪︎ Decides to seek return ticket for Abia North Senatorial seat

A former Abia State Governor and Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has confirmed his withdrawal from the presidential race.

He had planned to seek to be the All Progressives Congress, APC, standard bearer in the 2023 presidential election.

But with the decision by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan to enter into the presidential race, which he consummated with the purchase of the expression of interest and nomination forms on Monday, Kalu said he had withdrawn from the race in accordance.

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He said he was excited by Lawan’s joining the presidential race, saying his presidential aspiration had provided an opportunity for the northeast zone, which had yet to produce Nigeria’s president, just like the Southeast, to do so.

In a statement he personally issued and sent to THE CONCLAVE, Kalu rationzlised his action in the context of Lawan’s audacious political move.

Read him: “I congratulate my friend, former roommate and boss, Senator Ahmad Lawan as he picks form to run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC). I am most glad because he is from the North East, the only zone alongside South East that has yet to produce President of Nigeria.

“I have always maintained an unambiguous stand that for justice, equity and fairness in our country, the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari should come from the South East or the North East .

“I have also told Nigerians that I would only run for president if the two major political parties (APC and PDP) zone their tickets to the South East. That is why I was disappointed with our southern brothers who are talking about fairness and equity but has zero tolerance for the same fairness and equity in the South.

“In the absence of a South Easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a North Easterner. This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness and Justice everyone is talking about. It further means that the justice is on its way to the South East.

“I thank those who said they have picked presidential form for me because they meant well for Nigerians.

“However, since there is no zoning and the contest is open to all Nigerians, I officially withdraw from presidential contest in 2023. I have also picked ticket to run for Abia North Senatorial zone and to complete the good work I started in Abia North .

“I urge all my friends, allies and supporters in the APC to toe the line of justice by supporting Senator Ahmad Lawan, a North Easterner for the presidential ticket of the APC.”