Members of the Arewa Youths for Orji Uzor Kalu (AYOUK), have insisted that the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is in good stead to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari at the expiration of the latter’s tenure in May 2023.
AYOUK’s position was made known in Gasau, the Zamfara state capital, when the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Yakubu Arigu Muhammad met with Zamfara local government coordinators of the group.
According to Muhammad, Nigeria’s Presidency might elude the Southeast in 2023 if any wrong move, such as failure to seriously consider total backing for Orji Uzor Kalu occurs.
“The South-East must unite now and act fast because this is the best opportunity for them to produce the next president of Nigeria.
“This is not about Igbo Presidency, but about our conviction, trust and faith in someone with enormous capacity to deliver.
“So, whether zoning or no zoning, we strongly believe that Orji Uzor Kalu is the best person to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. So, if Nigerians say they want a president from the South-East, Orji Uzor Kalu is still the best presidential material because of his solid stance on the Nigerian project.
“We are urging all presidential aspirants from the South-East to step down for the former Abia state Governor. It is very important they do so , and adopt him as their consensus candidate.
The group, therefore, urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo, monarchs and stakeholders across the South-East, APC governors in the South-East, all Igbo political elites, business moguls and leaders of thought to rally round and adopt Orji Uzor Kalu as its sole candidate in the overall interest of Ndigbo.
The statement continued: “Ndigbo cannot afford to keep distracting themselves with wrong steps and faulty strategy at the risk of neglecting the very core of its geopolitical zone’s priority of succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has the requisite character, capacity, capability and the intellect to run Nigeria to the satisfaction of the generality of the Nigerian populace.
“We, therefore, call on our brothers from the South-East geopolitical not to jeopardize the interest of Ndigbo by playing to the gallery. It is time to rally round Orji Uzor Kalu, as he remains the best to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023,” the group said.