Orji Kalu woos former COAS, Ihejirika to join APC

The Senate Chief Whip and All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in Abia State, Senator Orji Kalu has urged the former of Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd) to join the party.

Kalu stated this when he paid a private visit to the former COAS in his Isuikwuato country home.

Though the outcome of the meeting was still yet unknown as efforts to reach Ihejirika’s associates proved abortive, sources within the camp of Kalu however, told our correspondent that Kalu’s visit to the residence of Ihejirika and other prominent Abians was to further push the efforts of the party in the state and national to woo prominent Abians and indeed the Southerners into the party.

The sources who disclosed that the Senate Chief Whip upon return from Abuja within the week, with the chairman of the party; Hon. Donatus Nwankpa and other party leaders in the state have been paying visit to various prominent personalities in the state and Southeast in general with the aim of convincing them to join and boost the numerical strength of the party in Abia and the Southeast.

The sources who recalled that it was through the efforts of Kalu and other southeast leaders of the party that saw the founder of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and United Peoples Party (UPP), Chekwa Okorie, former Governorship candidate of the APGA in 2015 and 2019, Dr. Alex Otti, former Governorship Candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Emeka Atuma and among others to join the party in the state, disclosed that Kalu would be visiting Arochukwu Local Government Area today (Saturday) where so many APGA, PDP and other political party supporters would be defecting to APC.

A close associate of Kalu who pleaded not to be mentioned, confirmed the visit of Kalu to Arochukwu, adding that with the efforts the leadership of the party under Hon. Donatus Nwankpa has been putting in place with the assistance of Senator Kalu and prominent party men and women including Senator Nkechi Nwaogu and Sir Mac Wagbara, PDP will be a thing of the past in the state.

“APC is no longer a mushroom party as it was earlier seen. There is going to be political tsunami in the state soon. Let me inform you that some PDP politicians have been making efforts to enter the party through the backdoor.

“They have been going to the presidency. Some of them have been going through the national leadership of the party. Let me even shock you. Some of them who castigated us; those who called us all sorts of names including Boko Harama and Fulani party are even negotiating to hijack the structure of the party from the national. But we won’t allow them.

“They must come through the normal process and the party leaders both at the ward and state level will definitely be consulted. No one can hijack the structure of the party from the leaders, no matter highly placed they are. Where were they when we were building the party in the state? What contribution did they make in getting the party where it is today?

“We are not stopping anyone from entering the party and at the same time, we are not begging anyone to join the party. I am convinced that with the caliber of persons that we have now in the party, we can boldly and conveniently win the entire political seats in Abia come 2023.”