Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State has told his predecessor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu to stop putting the blame for his (Kalu’s) political misfortunes at his doorstep.
Recall that Kalu had in a letter dated November 24, which he addressed to the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, accused Orji of imposing his preferred candidates on the party ahead of the 2015 election, and announced his withdrawal from the Abia North senatorial zone citing bias on the part of the governor.
But the governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Ajunwa, denied the allegation by Mr. Kalu, describing it as “spurious and the ranting of a drowning man”.
“Kalu knows very well that even if he contests election today, he cannot win election in the state again because he is a liability. He should stop deceiving himself as being a member of PDP which he is not”.
Mr. Orji also described as false, the allegation by his predecessor that he deceived some prominent indigenes of the state into resigning their plum positions to contest the Abia governorship race and other elective positions in the state, when infact, he already had his candidates for the positions.
“Everybody has the right to aspire for any position of one’s choice, and I lack the constitutional powers to prevent one from testing one’s popularity in an open contest. Resignation from public office is part of the requirements for political office seekers, hence, it will be wrong for anyone to blame the governor for an action one deliberately took in conformity with the electoral laws”, Mr. Ajunwa quoted the governor as saying.
Mr. Orji, who said he had not anointed or imposed any candidate, maintained his firm belief that the PDP governorship flag-bearer will emerge from a credible primaries in line with the party’s position that Abia South should be allowed to produce his successor in the spirit of fairness and equity.
He, therefore, said that Kalu should be ignored as he is only bent on blackmailing the state government for selfish political reasons.
