Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has dropped his presidential ambition for 2023 general election.
In a statement signed and tagged “2023 Presidency : Zoning And Support For Ahmad Lawan”, he said;
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 is 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
Signed
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu
Chief Whip of the 9th Senate
Federal Republic of Nigeriaq@a
