Senator Orji Kalu, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has said he decided to contest the 2023 presidential election after leaders from the six geopolitical zones approached him to run.

This is as he exposed that he had earlier informed other presidential aspirants like the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, previous president of the Senate, Pius Anyim and Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, that he will not contest.

Speaking in an interview with Silverbird Television on Friday, Kalu stated the leaders cited his ability and experience, adding that he changed his mind about not objecting to after due consultations coupled with the demand by prominent nationwide elders to join the contest.

He expressed the belief that he has the capability and experience to turn around the economy of the country and battle insecurity.

He stated, “I didn’t want to join this contest before. I informed him I was not running when I met with Senator Tinubu. When I met Governor Umahi, I informed him I was not running. When I also met Senator Pius Anyim, I told him I wasn’t objecting to. A number of days after my discussion with them, elders from the West, seniors from the North, the South-East and Niger Delta came to see me on the 5th of January (2022) and I likewise visited a number of them.

“I flew from my village to visit some locations and I consulted with them in the North, West and someplace in Lagos and Warri and I returned on the 8th back to Igbere, my house town, and also consulted with the senior citizens of my community and they said that it’s a possibility. And that is why I have actually not returned to inform these people who I at first informed that I will not run that I am now going to run. I will still have a conference with them and tell them formally that I am going to run for the president.”

On media reports that he attacked Tinubu, Kalu mentioned that they both have a deep-rooted relationship, including that the governmental ambition of this previous guv of Lagos State does not threaten his own.

His words: “Tinubu is not a hazard to my aspiration and I am not a danger to his ambition. We are extremely buddies and our friendship is deep-rooted. When I and my wife went back to Abia as Governor, nobody was occupying my home in Victoria Island, Lagos. So my kids remained in school at that time and some were schooling at Corona schools while one was in French International school in 1998 and they were dealing with Senator Oluremi Tinubu. We are like a family and politics can not separate us.

“In 2003 when Tinubu was looking for re-election and I saw that he was lagging behind, I helped him and it’s part of what caused my issue with previous President Obasanjo. So we’re a household and we can not quarrel because of politics. He might have his concept on how to do it and I might have my own idea on how to do it. All I know is that if we satisfy at Eagle Square I will offer an extremely excellent account of myself.”

ToriNG