2023 Presidency: Atiku’s win vindicates Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu- Prof Kalu Diogu
Former Vice President H.E. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the PDP 2023 Presidential Candidate vindicates H. E. Dr. Senator Orji Uzo Kalu’s support for the Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the North East President
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has emerged the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2023 general election. He polled a total of 371 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who garnered 237 votes.
Details of the votes scored by the aspirants are as follows:
Atiku Abubakar 371
Nyesom Wike 237
Bukola Saraki 70
Udom Emmanuel 38
Bala Mohammed 20
Pius Anyim 14
Sam Ohabunwa 1
Olivia Tariela 1
Void votes 12
Total valid votes 752
With one delegate from every local government area, southeast zone had 95 delegates as follows: Abia 17, Anambra 21, Ebonyi 13, Enugu 17 and Imo 27
The PDP 2022 results above show that the southeast delegates did not even support the candidates from southeast. Out of the 95 total valid votes from the southeast, former senate President Chief Anyim Pius Anyim got 14 votes (14.73% of the Southeast votes) whereas Mazi Sam Ohubaunwa got only 1 vote (1.05% of the Southeast votes). Therefore 80 delegates (over 84%) from the southeast voted for someone else. These delegates knew just like senator Orji Uzor Kalu opined that unless PDP zoned their Presidential candidate to the south east voting for candidate from Southeast this time around will be a wasted vote.
Upon carefully observing that both PDP and APC will not zone its presidential candidates to the southeast, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu threw his support to his friend and former roommate, senate President Ahmed Lawan who is from the Northeast; another zone that has not produced a Nigerian President. Senator Kalu reasoned that his support for a North Easterner would be the closest to the equity , fairness and Justice everyone is talking about, which further means that justice is on its way to the South East
The emergence of H. E. Atiku Abubakar who is a Northeasterner as PDP candidate for 2023 elections forecloses the chances of any southern presidential aspirant from becoming President and forces the hands of APC to pick its own 2023 presidential condition too from the Northeast. This important decision is not only to meet the seemingly challenges of justice and equity but also a strategic decision to become competitive and win the next general election.
Senate President Dr. Ahmad Lawan stands out as a North Easterner for the APC 2023 candidate for President Nigeria I stand with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu in supporting him
By picking Senator Ahmed Lawan as APC 2023 presidential candidate, both parties would have unintentionally opened the 1999 political playbook and nominated their presidential candidates from the same zone northeast. This will make sure the next President of Nigeria comes from the northeast zone as the destination of the wheel of justice and equity rotate towards the Southeast
Prof. Kalu Kalu Diogu
Chairman Emeritus
World Igbo Congress
