Former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in this month’s Senatorial Election, is not the only candidate in the race, but Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that his candidature has continued to generate peculiar interest as observers wonder how Kalu, who has contested for the position since 2011, will overcome the Abia North riddle in his bid to displace Senator Mao Ohuabunwa
Barely two weeks to the kick-off the 2019 National Assembly Election, Abia North Senatorial District has emerged as one of the most interesting zones in Abia State. This is not only because of the high tempo of the current politicking there but more particularly because the leading parties are fielding the same political foes that fought the battle in 2015 Senatorial Election, thus presenting the race as a rescheduled contest where the parties involved and their candidates would settle outstanding scores. Aside this, the race is generating special interest because of the calibre of the candidates and their reach.
Former Governor of the state, Orji Uzor Kalu, who is today described by his admirers as the most experienced political leader in the state, is flying the flag of All Progressives Congress (APC); Chief David Onuoha Ogba (Bourdex), a telecom expert and business mogul, is flying the flag of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) while the incumbent Senator, Mao Ohuabunwa, is flying the flag of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It would be recalled that in the hotly contested election in 2015, where Ohuabunwa of PDP was finally declared the winner in the re-run, he defeated Kalu with a mere 195 votes. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared that Ohuabunwa polled 26,009 votes while Kalu, who contested then on the ticket of PPA, polled 25, 814 to come second. This is even as Kalu’s supporters and supporters of the other contestants in the election alleged high wired manipulation and intimidation with the aid of the state and federal might then under PDP control.
Can Kalu overcome the riddles?
Although the three candidates currently flying the flags of the three leading parties are said to be well known in their own rights, some informed observers said it is the candidature of the former governor, Kalu that has put the Abia North contest on the spotlight, not only in the state but also throughout the country.
Dr. Francis Okpara, who confirmed this, told The Nation: “More than any other factor, the 2019 Abia North Senatorial Election will be an ego contest. The three leading candidates, former Governor Orji, Senator Ohuabunwa and Dr. Ogba are big politicians who are desperate to prove their worth. Ordinarily, no one would deny that Orji in particular should not find it difficult to win in his own senatorial district given his personality, net-worth and political stamina across the state and Nigeria. But as we all know, since he fell out with his immediate successor, he has been fighting against the clique in charge of PDP in the state. Incidentally, that clique and PDP were in power both in Abia and at the federal level all through the two periods he contested for and lost these senatorial elections. Now that Orji’s party is in control of the centre, it remains to be seen how he would fare. One thing is clear, Kalu will fight this political battle with all he has at least to prove that he is still popular and acceptable in his home,” he said.
The Nation had earlier reported that until recently, Kalu’s party, APC, was not considered very strong in Abia State. But that even then, the party was well received in Abia North, even before Kalu’s formal defection to the party. This explains why, in 2015, Nnenna Nma Lancaster-Okoro, who flew the flag of All Progressives Congress, came fourth in the senatorial election. With Kalu’s entrance into the party and his natural assumption of the position of the leader of the party in the state and the Southeast, it is expected that the party stands the chance of not only doing better than it did in 2015 but actually winning the district and the state.
Reiterating this, Madam Eunice Ajah from Item, told The Nation that Kalu’s chances are brighter this time around. “This is because we know INEC said he lost in the last two elections simply because the powers that be then did not want him to go to the senate. We believe he is not likely to suffer the obvious disadvantages that put paid to his ambitions in the last two elections. Unlike in those two elections, Orji is the candidate of a political party that cannot be intimidated by the PDP. Although PDP is still the ruling party in the state, Orji’s party, APC, is the ruling party at the federal level. We believe the Federal Government will not fold its arms and allow the PDP-controlled state government to rig the senatorial election against Orji again. So, if intimidation and rigging are disallowed, the contest will now be between the three strong candidates: Orji, Ohuabunwa and Ogba. If this happens, it would be near impossible for any of them to defeat Orji here,” she said.
As we recalled in our earlier report on this contest, in the 2015 elections, when Orji contested on the platform of the PPA, then totally fractured, he blamed his loss to alleged intimidation by the then ruling party at both the centre and in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was said then that the administration unleashed what Kalu’s supporters described as “the worst form of intimidation,” against their candidate. According to them, “Armoured personnel carriers were stationed at the entry and exit of Igbere, Kalu’s home on the Election Day.” They also informed that this strange security measure was also replicated in every area considered to be Kalu’s stronghold.
Aside alleged use of excess security set-up to intimidate his supporters, Kalu’s camp has also pointed out that his loss could be attributed to what they described as the questionable role of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), when it reversed itself after the returning officer had declared the election inconclusive, citing irregularities and directing the parties to prepare for a rerun.
The drama that trailed the 2015 Abia North election result cannot be forgotten in a hurry. It would be recalled that after declaring the result inconclusive by 9am on that fateful day, barely three hours later, by 12 noon, it was learnt that the returning officer was allegedly ordered to declare the result as it is.
At that time, analysts had alleged that the then incumbent Governor Theodore Orji, whose face-off with his former political godfather, Orji Uzor Kalu, was at its peak, had used his connection as a member of the then ruling party at the centre, PDP, to influence the outcome of the result against Kalu.
Commenting on the current contest, Nwabueze Onwuneme, an APC chieftain and State House of Assembly candidate for Umuahia North Constituency, told The Nation that the contest will be different both in Abia North and all the other constituencies in Abia State. As he puts it: “You must agree that the former governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, the APC candidate for Abia North Senatorial District, is the political leader of Abia State today. I do not need to boast here that he is popular and that his popularity will ultimately help to give us Abia North Senatorial seat. APC, through the able leadership of great politicians like Orji Uzor Kalu, will not only win Abia North this year, but will also win the governorship election,” he said.
Also commenting recently on why he and other supporters of Orji believe he stands the chance of winning this election, Hon. Maduka Okoro, the Executive Director of Reality Organisation (Worldwide), a non-governmental organisation, in a recent interview told newsmen that Kalu is better positioned today to win the Abia North race than he has ever been.
Explaining why the people are likely to vote for Orji instead of the other contenders, he said, “Orji Uzor Kalu is doing what nobody who is not a sitting governor can do. Not just being a philanthropist, but also attracting good things for the people from the government even when he holds no political position. He is attracting federal projects as an individual. Ubani Ibeku road was a dead trap before, but today, go there and see for yourself. He has attracted many NDDC projects into Abia State. I want to give you example: Umuahia-Ubani Ibeku Road, Ubani Ibeku to Uzuakoli Road, Ozuitem-Uzuakoli Road, Ugwueke, Alayi, Nkpa roads and even Arochukwu. Most people don’t know that Kalu is instrumental in changing the face of roads in Arochukwu.
“His Foundation is giving scholarship to different indigent students in several universities. The downtrodden are happy with him. He has a big heart. That is why you see that Orji is the only politician that can walk the streets of Abia by 12 midnight or even any time without security and people will hail him and greet him on sight. Among all sitting, past and those aiming to be political leaders in Abia, none of them can boast to have done half of what Orji Uzor Kalu has done and is still doing,” he said.
On his part, Kalu has also anchored his campaigns on what he did when he was state governor. “When I was governor, I paid workers the 13th month as against the present situation where workers are owed over 12 month’s salaries.
“Again, when I was governor, tuition fees at Abia State University, Uturu, was N7,000, but now the fees are beyond the reach of an average family in Abia,” he would say.
Aside performance of its candidate while in office, The Nation learnt that there are other issues that may have further strengthened the position of APC in the Abia North Senatorial District. One of them is the fact that since 1999, the area that APC candidate, Kalu, comes from is yet to produce a senator. It would be recalled that in 1999, it was Senator Ike Nwachukwu, from Isuikwuato area that sat on the seat at the Red Chamber. Nwachukwu represented the people up till 2003. He was succeeded by the Late Senator Uche Chukwumerije in 2003. He served the people until 2015. He was replaced by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa. Given this scenario, there is the argument that the area Kalu came from should also be allowed to produce a senator for Abia North.
But reacting to the agitation, an aide to Kalu told The Nation that more than such sectional consideration, APC is more hopeful because its candidate has what it takes to represent the entire Abia North more effectively than what obtains today.
As the candidates round up their campaigns, all eyes in the state are on Abia North, especially on Kalu, whose political interests since 2011 has remained a spotlight to all. Will he make it this time? Some observers said his performance would go a long way in determining the fortunes of his party in both the presidential and governorship elections in the state.
