Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has dismissed allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was manipulating the electoral system to weaken opposition parties, insisting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains an autonomous institution that deserves respect.
Kalu made this assertion while speaking with journalists at the National Assembly on Tuesday during events marking his 66th birthday, describing claims by opposition figures, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as “frivolous” and damaging to Nigeria’s democratic image.
He stressed that the APC had no control over the Independent National Electoral Commission, noting that the electoral umpire under the current Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, operates without yielding to any external interference.
“The APC as a party has nothing to do with INEC. INEC is an independent body and we have a lot of respect for the Chairman of INEC. He is an erudite professor… So, let us stop this frivolity. People should take the electoral process and democracy seriously instead of de-marketing the country,” Kalu said.
The lawmaker also rejected suggestions that the ruling party was coercing politicians, especially governors, to defect, maintaining that party membership is a matter of personal choice and negotiation, just as he claimed that President Bola Tinubu had never pressured anyone to join the APC.
“President Tinubu has never begged anybody to leave his party or to join our party… If a governor decides to join APC, that is his business. When you come, we negotiate; if it is good, you stay; if not, you go your way. Nobody is forcing anybody,” he stated.
On 2027 permutations and speculation that the Senate Presidency may be zoned to the South East, Kalu said that he was unaware of any such arrangement, describing zoning as the exclusive prerogative of the party’s leadership.
While not ruling himself out of any political leadership to be zoned to the South East, the former Abia State Governor stressed that he was not lobbying for any office office at the moment.
“I’m not aware of that. It is for the leadership of the party to decide. If anything is given to me, I will take it, but I’m not going out of my way to look for anything,” he said.
Addressing claims by some members of the 1999 class of governors that they have been marginalized by the current administration, Kalu downplayed the concerns, arguing that President Tinubu had been striving to maintain cordial relations with his former colleagues.
He cited recent interactions between the President and several former governors as proof of sustained engagement with those who governed with him at the inception of the prevailing civil governance in Nigeria.
On governance and regional development, the former Senate Chief Whip cautioned against narratives that the South East had been sidelined under successive administrations, noting that both the late Muhammadu Buhari and President Tinubu had contributed meaningfully to national development, including the South East.
“Every President has something to add. Buhari has contributed his quota, Tinubu is contributing his quota. We are getting what we are supposed to get… maybe even more today. That does not mean Buhari did not do well,” Kalu remarked.
Commenting on the economy, Kalu gave a measured assessment of the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda, saying that macroeconomic indicators had shown progress, but grassroots challenges persist due to insecurity and sabotage.
“The upper end of the reform is working… investors are coming in. But the lower end has problems because of insecurity and sabotage. Reforms take time; they don’t happen in one day,” he explained, pointing to long-term reform paths in countries like China and Singapore.
Kalu expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s re-election prospects in 2027, describing the opposition as weak and lacking credible alternatives. He argued that the APC’s expanding membership and nationwide acceptance put it in a strong position ahead of the next cycle.
“I don’t think anybody will defeat President Tinubu in a free and fair election… APC is like a moving train. Even in places that were not APC before, people are joining. We are rocking like a hurricane,” he declared.
The lawmsker urged political actors to focus on strengthening democratic institutions and offering credible policy alternatives, rather than what he called unproductive criticism.
