New Telegraph

2023: Party spokespersons not addressing issues but disparaging candidates – Kalu

The Senate Chief Whip and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has observed that spokespersons of presidential candidates for the 2023 presidential elections were not addressing issues but disparaging opponents of their candidates in their speeches. Kalu made the observation yesterday, while responding to questions from journalists in his office, saying that spokespersons of Presidential candidates of the leading political parties were not addressing issues as regards aspirations of their principals but dwelling on frivolous matters and apparently de-marketing the democratic process.

His words: “Everybody in Nigeria knows that there are four leading presidential candidates for the 2023 presidential election but their spokespersons are not giving Nigerians the required information as regards programmes and agenda of their principals on the myriad of challenges facing the nation. “What Nigerians want to hear from the four leading candidates of the four formidable political parties, is their plans on how to turn around the nation’s economy for better, end insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crimes and criminalities bedevilling the country.

“Nigerians are tired of rhetoric on the personal lives of the presidential candidates as being churned out by their spokespersons who primarily should be focusing on what their principals have in stock for the people across the various sectors.” The politician also made an assessment of the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration, pointing out that the President had done well in some areas and failed in other areas just like any other government across the world. Kalu posited that leadership is like exchange of batons in a race where every participant is expected to play his or her role and hand over to another person to continue.

“President Buhari and his team have done their best within the last seven and half years, preparatory to quitting the stage within the next six months for another set of leaders and by extension, new ideas, policies and programmes. “Emergence of leaders at any time in the life of any country is always facilitated by circumstances and situations that are prevalent, making leaders at different times, have different challenges to face,” he stated. He however, boasted that as far as Abia North Senatorial District is concerned, no other candidate was on ground apart from him, saying that in 2023, he would just be contesting against himself as there would be no formidable opponent to challenge him.

The Senate Chief Whip noted that he had always been known for being people oriented in his programmes right from his days in Abia Government House, as the executive governor of the state, assuring that he would continue to work for the people.

He said: “For me, it is home coming because going back to Abia North is a job I had started as governor. We have always embarked on people oriented programmes. I have never left the people and I cannot leave them because we are the people and the people are us. We are strong stakeholders. So, for me, we have not even started what we intend to do for our people. “The election is coming. I am not shaking but I know that the election in Abia State is Orji Uzor Kalu vs. Orji Uzor Kalu. That is the story. People are taking money from politicians on election day but it’s Orji Uzor Kalu vs. Orji Uzor Kalu. The attitude of the people will make it work.”

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