By Chika Nwabueze
Erstwhile Executive Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Council and All Progressives Congress, APC, Leader in Ohuhu-Umuahia, Revd Sam Ekeledo, has declared that Senator Orji Kalu remains the best candidate for Nigerian President of Igbo extraction come 2023.
Revd Sam Ekeledo hinged his position on what he termed Senator Kalu’s pragmatic sense and practical connection to the people who can influence opinion, concerning the actualisation of the Nigerian President of Igbo extraction project.
Ekeledo who made this known in an interview with the NewsCritic in Umuahia, stressed that common sense should tell Ndigbo that Senator Kalu fits that calculation more than any other politician within the South East region at the moment, adding that Kalu has such strength and capacity to serve and deliver in that exalted public office.
In his words “politics for the Igbo man should be viewed with a sense of reflection of history. At a critical point in the politics of Igbo land, in determining the person that will lead Eastern region, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe discovered that there was wisdom in going beyond the orthodox circles and tapped on Dr M.I Okpara, and the stupendous development that happened in that era is still the legacy that we can’t measure up to, he stressed.
According to Revd Ekeledo, the Igbo should be unconventional in their appreciation of what leadership should mean within the context of Nigeria. As of today, he said the most bankable person of Igbo extraction for the presidency should be seen from that unorthodox manner, “and if we are pragmatic enough Orji Kalu fits that bill more than any other person, Ekeledo reasoned.
He further stated that Orji Kalu’s ability to weather the storm either on individual basis or otherwise, together with his sense of resilience and experience with people of diverse cultures is his unique attributes that Ndigbo should consider in the run up to the presidential contest.
On whether the Nigerian president of Igbo extraction is realisable, Ekeledo has this to say: “Of course the Igbo presidency is right there at the corner and the APC is going to deliver it quicker. So those who know about competence will know that placing an Igbo person as president of Nigeria will turn around the situation”.
Ekeledo believes that as moral beings, and as far as the Igbo is there aspiring for the presidency of Nigeria, the push and pull that would trail the conversation when it begins, inevitably will favour the Igbo man’s aspiration.
Commenting on Abia State development over the years, Revd Ekeledo explained that he doesn’t feel disappointed, since the trend with the governorship is that we have not been able to uphold the value of a validly elected governor.
He said “any time we are able as a people to uphold with every determination and come out to defend a validly elected candidate, we’ll move forward because we will have greater sense of responsibility. But in a situation where our election over time has always been compromised by INEC, we’re not going to gain much. So, I’ve no time to assess the government, rather my emphasis is that we should deal with the fundamentals that will bring about responsibility and with responsibility comes accountability, then we will see the quality of governance, he suggests.
