2027 Election: “He is Not My Leader,” Powerful Igbo Elder 'Disowns' Peter Obi

• Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state, has downplayed Peter Obi’s political relevance in the south-east, saying he is currently the most important politician in the region
• The senator, who presently represents Abia North, declined to comment extensively on Obi, saying he would only do so if he meets the Labour Party chieftain in a debate
• Legit.ng reports while most Nigerians of southeast extraction still await the actualisation of an Igbo presidency, Messrs Obi and Kalu have vied for the highest position in the country, albeit unsuccessfully

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - Orji Uzor Kalu, senator representing Abia north, has said Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, is not his leader.

Speaking in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday night, October 8, monitored by Legit.ng, Kalu declared that he is "the most important politician" from Nigeria's southeast geopolitical zone.

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The 65-year-old's comment comes as the nation gathers momentum towards the forthcoming 2027 presidential election and as some Nigerians continue to canvass support for Obi. Obi, 64, governed Anambra state.

He said:

“He (Obi) is not my leader, I am the most important politician from that zone.

“I have won two states before under PPA. I ran for president before , my 4.9 million votes in 2007 are still there. We achieved a lot with PPA. We had ministers, ambassadors, and other appointments under President Yar’Adua.”

Legit.ng reports that Kalu was the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) presidential candidate in the 2007 general election.

In the build-up to the 2023 election, he was also an aspirant, but withdrew from presidential race in 2022 and threw his weight behind the senate president at the time, Ahmad Lawan. However, Bola Tinubu won the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Kalu speaks on Igbo presidency

Meanwhile, on the unending discussions about an Igbo presidency, Kalu, a former governor of Abia state, asserted that despite his people's strong desire to see their tribesman at the helm of affairs, his choice remains President Tinubu.

Leadership quoted Kalu as saying:

“Well, I am in a party (APC) where we have made the decision to field President Tinubu for a second term. Even if I feel it is time for an Igbo president, those thoughts are no longer feasible, because I am caged up in a party where I have signed to nominate President Tinubu. The party I belong to has chosen a presidential candidate, who is President Tinubu.”

He added:

“Let me tell you, we (the Igbos) really need the presidency. But if a president can be fair to all Nigerians, can be fair to all zones and bring justice and equity, nobody should be thinking about where the president comes from.”

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Read more on Orji Uzor Kalu:

• Drama as Orji Kalu senator storms senate with Tinubu's campaign cloth, photos trend
• “Why I grounded my private jet,” Senator Orji Kalu opens up
• Senator Orji Uzor Kalu mentions opposition governor 'codedly' supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Kalu calls for cooperation with Tinubu

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Senator Kalu advised Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara to mend his political differences with President Tinubu in the interest of the people of the state.

Kalu warned that the people of Zamfara could lose out on major development if the governor failed to play political economics with the president.

Source: Legit.ng