Former Governor of Abia State and current Senator representing the Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared his intention to run for the presidency in 2027, asserting that he possesses the qualifications necessary for the role.
He, however, stated that his candidacy would depend on whether President Bola Tinubu decides to seek re-election for a second term.
Kalu made the comments on Thursday evening during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He said, “Let me tell you, first and foremost, I’m qualified to be a President, and I’m competent. We have already a candidate in our political party unless he is not running. If the party gives me the opportunity to fly their flag, it’s a privilege, it’s not something that will I like? It’s an opportunity given by the party. It’s not about me. My interest in 2027 is to come back, be a lawmaker, sit in the Senate and work in the Senate”.
Speaking on the prevailing hardships in Nigeria, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu articulated that the nation’s current predicament stems from a lack of effective economic processes and an organized economy.
He emphasized that these deficiencies have significantly contributed to the struggles faced by many Nigerians today.
Kalu further asserted that the government must take decisive action by cutting down on unnecessary expenses to alleviate the financial burden on citizens.
He believes that implementing more structured economic policies could pave the way for sustainable growth and development, ultimately improving the living conditions of the people.
He added that President Tinubu was making efforts to restore the institutions, noting however that while he (President Tinubu) could be right or wrong in his decisions.
“The record is that there is a worldwide deflation all over the world. It is bad in Nigeria because we have no economic processes. We never had an economy since 60 years ago. There is no organized economy here. We have no light, we have nothing, and our stock exchange is just building up. The institutions that drive the economy are very weak, and this is what President Bola Tinubu is trying to rebuild to make sure the institutions are strong.
“Because if you continue with these handouts and a weak economy, you are not going to go on, somebody must make tough decisions. He might be right or wrong. He’s making tough decisions for the future. The question is the Nigerian people, are they hungry? The answer is yes. But our looks worse because we didn’t make decisions at all.”
“People in government ought to maintain austerity measures, I believe they should. There should be more sewing our coat according to our size, scaling down on most things people in government do, scaling down on more gifts the government gives to other countries, scaling down on so many things”, the Senator said.
