Sen Orji Kalu Urges APC Leaders to End Feud, Unite Behind Tinubu, Focus on Economic Production
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has appealed to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike to end their differences and unite behind President Bola Tinubu, saying the country’s immediate priority should be economic development, production and improving the living conditions of Nigerians.
Senator Kalu, who spoke on the reported disagreement among the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, said the current political situation required unity of purpose rather than unnecessary quarrels, stressing that all the major stakeholders were needed to strengthen the party and ensure victory at the polls.
He appealed to the Progressive Governors’ Forum, as well as Minister Nwenge, a former governor, to put aside their differences and return their attention to grassroots mobilisation.
“I’m sincerely appealing to both the Governor’s Forum, the Progressive Governors, and Minister Nyesome Wike, who also used to be Governor. They are the men who are working towards delivering President Tinubu.”
According to him, political campaigns should not be restricted to Abuja, but must be taken to the grassroots where the people live.
“We should not quarrel at this time of our campaign. We should go back to our grassroots campaign. It’s not done in Abuja campaign, it’s done in the hinterland,” he said.
Kalu also urged the contending parties to sheath their swords and allow the party to harness the strengths of all its stakeholders.
“And both parties should tear their daggers apart so that they should put their sword back. And I urge the elders of the party and other people to join us to plead for peace,” he said.
The former Abia State governor acknowledged that the governors had legitimate interests to protect, while also noting that Minister Wike had his own political strength, which should be brought together with that of the governors for the benefit of the party.
“We need the Governor’s Forum very well. We also need Minister Wike very well. We need all parties in this business. There is nobody to be counted out,” he said.
“Some Governors also have a very good case. I cannot be a Governor. You sponsor other candidates in my state. I will not allow that to happen. But I think Minister Wike can have his own strength. The Governors have their own strength. We need all those strengths together. This is what we need. And that’s what we need us to win.”
Kalu said the disagreements among politicians should not be allowed to overshadow the broader responsibility of leadership, stressing that the ultimate objective should be improving the lives of Nigerians.
“This country needs unity of purpose. The politicians have so much trivialised leadership that people are just in leadership of what they can. Get the ego they can have in position. Not the change of life of people they have to do,” he said.
He therefore called on political leaders to shift their attention from internal battles to strengthening the economy through investment and increased domestic production.
“So people should focus on developing the economy. The money is coming today, the money might not come tomorrow. We should do investment, investment, investment. We should go back to production,” Kalu said.
He argued that Nigeria’s large population made production particularly important, warning that the country could not achieve sustainable economic progress without increasing its productive capacity.
“Because we have already stabilised part of this system, exchange, fueling and all the rest of them. So let us find a way to stabilise our electricity. And then move towards security and stabilise security and move for production,” he said.
“Without production this population is so large.”
Kalu further urged politicians to stop what he described as unnecessary political battles and concentrate on addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians.
“So people should stop fighting for politics. I’m surprised that the Governors are fighting. This is not necessary. What is necessary today is to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerian people and move the country forward,” he said.
According to him, the focus of political leaders should be on supporting the President’s agenda and ensuring that the administration succeeds.
“Which is what President Tinubu himself is preaching for. So people should stop fighting unnecessary war. People should stop seeking attention where there is no attention to be seen. They should concentrate on the President winning the election,” Kalu said.
He called on all factions to return to the negotiating table and work together, stressing that no stakeholder should be excluded from the party’s efforts.
“I can’t say anything more than that. I’m not saying the progressive Governor are wrong or Wike is wrong, what I’m saying is let all parties come back together. Let us fight for president Tinubu re-election,because we need to win the election,” he said.
Kalu maintained that the country was on a positive trajectory, urging political leaders to consolidate the gains already made and focus on policies capable of strengthening the economy and improving the welfare of citizens.