Nigerian Senate President Orji Kalu has officially withdrawn from the 2023 presidential race and supports Senate President Ahmad Lawan to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Kalu said this on Monday in a statement.
PREMIUM TIMES had previously reported that an advocacy group acquired APC’s N100 million nomination and presidential expression of interest forms for the president of the Senate.
The group handed over the forms to him on Monday at the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja.
The group has since submitted the forms to Mr. Lawan.
Kalu had criticized presidential hopefuls from other southern regions for what he described as disrespect for the southeast and disregard for fairness and justice in the political game.
In his statement, the main whip indicated his willingness to support the northeast which, according to him, has never produced the president of Nigeria.
“I congratulate my friend, former roommate and boss, Senator Ahmad Lawan as he chooses his way to run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). I am very happy because he is from the northeast, the only area next to the southeast that has not yet produced the president of Nigeria.
“I have always held an unequivocal position that for justice, fairness and fairness in our country, the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari it must come from the southeast or the northeast.
“I also told Nigerians that I would only run for president if both major political parties (APC and PDP) put their tickets in the southeast. That is why I became disillusioned with our brothers in the South, who talk about justice and fairness but have zero tolerance for the same justice and fairness in the South.
“In the absence of a southeasterner who will be president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a northeasterner. This is because he would be the closest thing to fairness, equity, and justice that everyone is talking about. Also, it means that justice is on its way to the southeast,” he said.
He said that since there is no zoning and the race is open to all Nigerians, he has officially withdrawn from the presidential race in 2023.
“I also chose a ticket to run for the Abia Norte senatorial zone and to complete the good work I started in Abia Norte.”
“I urge all my friends, allies and supporters in the APC to toe the line of justice by supporting Senator Ahmad Lawan, a Northeasterner for the APC presidential bid,” he said.
ALSO READ: 2023: Supporters buy APC presidential form for Senate President Lawan
The legislator’s statement comes as dozens of members of his political party and the opposition PDP chose nomination forms to contest the primaries.
He has always shown an interest in running for the office of president in the 2023 general election.
There are contenders from each of the country’s six geopolitical zones fighting to replace Buhari, a north-westerner who will complete his second term in 2023.
Some of the contenders include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC Chief Bola Tinubu and Publisher Dele Momodu and former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose.
On the South-South side are the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.