The former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Kalu, has told the media that he would no longer be running for Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, come 2015. He has also told the party to refund the N5.5m he paid for the nomination and expression of interest forms.
He said he paid the money with the mind set that he would contest the party’s ticket for Abia North Senatorial District, but his reason for withdrawing from the race is because "the Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has concluded plans to hand-pick PDP aspirants in the state.”
He further added in his letter “Since I was not screened and neither did I go through any of the stipulated processes that lead to the emergence of candidates, I hereby also ask the party, as a measure of honour and good faith, to refund the nomination fees I paid. I will use the money to further empower my constituents in many other ways,”
According to him, Governor Orji allowed some high profile members of the party to resign from plum positions to contest for the PDP ticket.
“Along the line, however, it became apparent that the Abia State Governor, Chief T.A Orji wants to hand-pick all candidates, both into executive and legislative position. He wants to choose his own successor, fill the 24 House of Assembly seats, the eight federal constituencies and the three senatorial seats.
“Governor Orji knew ahead of time that he had a candidate in mind but deliberately allowed eminent Abia citizens, like Dr. Alex Otti, the Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank, to resign from his lofty position, when he should have advised him to remain there,” Kalu added in his letter.
Politics and its drama.
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