Politics
SENATOR ORJI KALU DECLARES HIMSELF MOST INFLUENTIAL SOUTHEAST POLITICIAN NOT PETER OBI, CALLS FOR CALM OVER NNAMDI KANU’S CASE.
By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
9- OCT- 2025
Former Governor of Abia State and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has asserted that he remains the most influential political figure from Nigeria’s South-East region — not the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Kalu dismissed claims that Obi currently commands the political direction of the region. The lawmaker maintained that his record of political leadership, achievements, and experience far outweighed Obi’s.
“Peter Obi is not my leader. I am the most important politician from the South-East,” Kalu declared confidently.
When asked about his political future, the former governor hinted that he would not rule out contesting for the presidency, emphasizing that competence, not age, should determine leadership eligibility.
“If I’m healthy and God keeps me alive, I can still run for president. Age doesn’t define leadership; what matters is competence and capacity,” he said, citing former U.S. President Donald Trump as an example of age not being a limiting factor.
During the interview, Senator Kalu also addressed the ongoing calls for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. He cautioned against making public statements on the matter since it remains before a competent court.
“This case is before the judiciary. It would be improper for me to make public comments when the courts and the President are closely monitoring proceedings,” Kalu stated.
He confirmed that discussions regarding Kanu’s situation were ongoing at various levels but refrained from revealing the details of his conversations with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I have spoken to the President several times about this issue, but I cannot disclose our discussions. What’s important is that everyone desires a peaceful resolution,” he added.
Kalu underscored the need for Nigerians to respect judicial processes and avoid actions that could undermine the courts.
“We must allow the judiciary to do its work. No one should make Justice Nyako or any judge appear biased by discussing this matter publicly. All of us are engaged in quiet diplomacy out of respect for the courts,” he explained.
He further reminded agitators that only the Attorney-General of the Federation has the constitutional authority to discontinue legal proceedings of that nature and urged restraint among those demanding Kanu’s immediate release.
> “People must understand that the power to discontinue such a case rests solely with the Attorney-General. Let’s allow due process to take its course,” Kalu concluded.
Chairman, Policy Manifesto Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, John Odigie-Oyegun, says former president Muhammadu Buhari gave him the shock of his life, six months into his administration as Nigeria’s leader.
Oyegun made this disclosure on Friday when he featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.
He revealed that as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he went to tell Buhari that he was not delivering his election promises to Nigerians but that the late president told him he would not rule with strictness, but rather wanted to show Nigerians that he is a true civilian president.
The former APC National Chairman lamented that it became business as usual, from there.
“I was national chairman of the APC. Six months or less into our assuming office, fairly alarmed, I went to the late President Buhari for a one-on-one talk. I said Mr President, this is not what the people were expecting. They wanted a bit of the old president Buhari.
“And he explained to me, Mr Chairman, I have learned my lesson. I was shocked. And don’t forget at that time, a lot of prominent Nigerians took their holidays abroad, just to be sure and see what this new sheriff in town will be.
“Buhari told me he wants to now show the people that he’s a true civilian president in Agbada. And by the time we finished the conversation, I said Oh God, we are finished. Because, if he’s not ready to be strict, what’s the point?
“Weeks later, months later, years later, I was proven correct. And of course, it became business as usual, only that they are a new set of tenants in Aso Rock. That was a shocker,” he said.
Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.
The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.
He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.
Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said Nigerians have every reason to be mad at the Senate over the ongoing debate on e-transmission of election results.
Ezekwesili made this known on Friday when she featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ monitored by DAILY POST.
DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill that aimed to compel the electronic transmission of election results.
Reacting to the matter, Ezekwesili said, “The fundamental issue with the review of the Electoral Act is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act, Section 60 Sub 5.
“This section became infamous for the loophole it provided INEC, causing Nigerians to lose trust. Since the law established that it wasn’t mandatory for INEC to transmit electoral results in real-time, there wasn’t much anyone could say.
“Citizens embraced the opportunity to reform the INEC Act, aiming to address ambiguity and discretionary opportunities for INEC. Yet, the Senate handled it with a “let sleeping dogs lie” approach. The citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are.”
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