By Tgnews Reporter, Abuja
Senate Majority Whip Orji Uzor Kalu has declared himself the undisputed heavyweight of South-East politics, dismissing Labour Party flagbearer Peter Obi as “not my leader” and issuing a fiery challenge for a head-to-head debate to settle the score once and for all.
The former Abia State governor, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday night, boasted of his storied political resume, which he claims eclipses Obi’s meteoric rise in the 2023 presidential race.
“He is not my leader. I am the most important politician from that zone,” Kalu proclaimed, laughing off suggestions that the Igbo community should rally behind Obi for future elections.
He rattled off his credentials: victories in two states under the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), a 2007 presidential bid that netted 4.9 million votes – a figure he insists “still stands” – and a slew of federal appointments, including ministers and ambassadors, secured during the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration.
Kalu, 64, didn’t hold back on his ambitions, brushing aside age concerns by invoking Donald Trump’s enduring appeal.
“If I’m healthy and God gives me life, I can still contest. The question is not age, it’s competency. It’s about what is in my brain and what I can deliver,” he said, hinting at a potential 2027 run while emphasizing his track record of “delivering” for the region.
The interview quickly escalated into a direct gauntlet thrown at Obi. When pressed on Obi’s growing stature, Kalu shot back: “Each time you mention him, I become uncomfortable because I’ve told you before – any day you want to discuss Peter Obi with me, give us two hours, put him there, and put me here.
Then we’ll sort it out.” He doubled down, urging the show’s host: “Arrange in your studio a meeting between me and Peter Obi. Put two of us in the same place.”
Shifting gears to the simmering separatist tensions in the South-East, Kalu renewed his cautious advocacy for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whose prolonged trial has fueled unrest and calls for justice.
While stopping short of outright demands – citing the case’s status before Justice Binta Nyako’s court – Kalu revealed he’s engaged in “backdoor diplomacy” with President Bola Tinubu. “I have discussed this issue with the President many times. But I cannot tell you what I discussed with him. It’s a privilege,” he confided, stressing a shared desire for “peaceful resolution.”
Kalu, a vocal defender of judicial independence, urged restraint from agitators and politicians alike. “We must not make Justice Nyako or any judge look like a fool by discussing this case publicly. Nigerians must respect the decisions of our courts,” he warned, noting that only the Attorney-General of the Federation holds the authority to halt proceedings. His comments come amid escalating IPOB-related insecurity in the region, where Kanu’s supporters have staged protests and clashed with security forces.
As a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kalu’s remarks underscore the deepening fault lines within South-East politics, where Obi’s “Obidient” movement continues to challenge the old guard. Political observers say the debate dare could either consolidate Kalu’s influence or expose fractures in the APC’s regional strategy. For now, Obi – fresh off his own calls for electoral reforms – has yet to respond.
