The rank of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East was yesterday swelled when Elder (Mrs.) Eunice Uzor Kalu, leader of the Reality Organisation in the South-East and mother of former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and her members joined the party.
Also, former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Nnanna Uzor Kalu and ex-Chief of Staff to Governor Theodore Orji, Mr. Mascot Uzor Kalu, joined the APC.
This was the highpoint of the visit of President-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari, to Imo State to thank the people for voting for him as well as asking them to also vote for Governor Rochas Okorocha and APC House of Assembly candidates in Saturday elections.
Speaking at a Town Hall meeting in Owerri, Buhari gave assurance that APC will experience credible polls in South East and South-South, better than what happened during the Presidential and National Assembly elections two weeks ago.
The President-elect noted that South-East states have exhibited courage and commitment and so deserve the system of change to be brought by the incoming APC government.
“Okorocha and the governors of Rivers and Edo have shown courage to the system of APC. The vote of the people is their strength and if it is allowed to count, they can vote out a government that does not meet their expectations and this is what the APC government stands for,” he said.
While promising to give the South-East zone a level playing ground in his administration, he urged the electorate to vote all the APC governorship candidates at the weekend’s election.
Buhari also expressed his happiness over the appreciation of naira immediately he was declared the winner of the presidential polls, describing it as the handiwork of God for the change he talked about.
Governor Okorocha, in his speech earlier, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat, describing his action as maturity.
He described Buhari as a stabiliser who is coming in at a critical time of the nation, while urging him to carry everybody along. He reminded the President-elect of the trauma the Igbo are going through in the North.
“Let me now remind you that you are the President of the country and not of APC alone; so we urge you to carry everybody along. Today, we shall have a new Nigeria. Buhari Okechukwu is a President of a new Nigeria. Igbo are going through pains in the North and we hope that you will help us,” Okorocha said.
Present at the event were the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Senator Chris Ngige, Prince Eze Madumere, Elder (Mrs.) Eunice Orji Kalu, Senator Osita Izunaso, the Imo State House of Assembly Speaker, Ben Uwajumogu, among other APC leaders across the South East.
Meanwhile, there are speculations that ex-Governor Kalu may follow his mother and brothers to join the APC, if he eventually succumbs to pressure.
Daily Sun gathered that the APC leadership has been mounting pressure on Kalu to join the party.
When contacted on this, Kalu said he was about boarding a plane in London for Abuja and would not comment.
Sources close to Kalu, however, said that the former governor wants to consult President Goodluck Jonathan and National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu first. Also, Kalu wants to retrieve his mandate in the Abia North senatorial election saga, the source stated.
“APC has approached Kalu, but he wants to consult President Jonathan and Mu’azu. Also, he wants to get to the bottom of the injustice done him in the Abia North senatorial election before making up his mind,” the source stated.
It also revealed that Buhari is a family friend of the Kalus and therefore, “they will be glad to support him to succeed.”
On Kalu’s membership of the PDP, the source said: “The PDP has not been fair to the Kalu family. Despite the fact that Kalu was a major financier of the PDP, former President Olusegun Obasanjo deregistered him, which led to the formation of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA). Also, Governor TA Orji in connivance with Mrs. Jonathan dealt with him.”
On the defection of Kalu’s mum and brothers to APC, he said: “The Kalus are free to belong to any party they want. We are all Nigerians. APC and PDP are the same people.”
Stakeholders in South East told Daily Sun that there’s a general belief that the APC in the zone needs to put its acts together now and not wait till 2019, when it would have been too late to be integrated into the party.
“That’s why a large number of South easterners are joining APC now,” he stated.
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