Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the Abia North representative and chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC), has rejected appeals from the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) for him to run for president in 2027.
The appeal was made by the NYLF, a coalition of 40 allied groups, as they paid former President Olusegun Obasanjo a courtesy call in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Comrade Eliot Afiyo, the group’s chairman, listed Kalu and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential contender, as their top picks for the upcoming election and cited Obasanjo as its patron.
They also suggested that Adamawa State Governor Umar Fintiri and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal be taken into consideration as running mates.
However, Senator Kalu categorically disassociated himself from any presidential ambitions in a statement released Thursday by his media office and signed by George Maduka.
He reaffirmed his steadfast backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 reelection campaign.
Additionally, Kalu denied rumors that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was divided on its 2027 presidential candidate and warned against using his name as a political diversion.
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According to the statement, Nigerian politics are governed by a federal and presidential system, which grants all citizens the ability to cast ballots and be elected. The 2027 presidential election is not one of the positions for which Senator Kalu is eligible to be considered. He is still dedicated to doing the necessary work to help President Tinubu, whom he has openly endorsed for reelection.
Kalu also praised Tinubu’s economic measures, emphasizing that a full two-term presidency is necessary for inclusive changes and long-term stability.
No leader in Nigeria since the country’s restoration to democracy has had the guts to turn around the faltering economy like Tinubu. In order to finish the excellent work the President has begun, Kalu thinks that the best thing Nigerians can do is to back and re-elect him in 2027.
The former governor of Abia State also emphasized how he and Tinubu had been friends since their time together as governors in 1999. He reiterated his steadfast support for the President’s progressive economic policies.
