Kenneth Udeh,Abuja
The Abuja,Aso-Villa residence of the Chief Whip of the 9th Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu on Saturday played host to the Chieftain and prominent founding member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Osita Izunaso.
The host Senator Orji Uzor Kalu revealed that the reason behind the special reception held in honour of Senator Izunaso was to celebrate his one year of “rejoining” the party.
Recall that was Senator Izunaso now ex-officio was the pioneer interim National Organising secretary of the APC and the first elected and substantive National Organising secretary of the party .
The reception had the presence of other political dignitaries who gathered at the residence of Senator Kalu to mark the rejoining of Osita Izunaso into the APC.
Speaking in the presence of the guests Senator Kalu narrated how Sen. Osita persuaded him to join the APC back in 2016. He described Senator Osita as a noble politician and also beckoned him to put behind him all disagreements he had with the party in order to foster peace in the party.
In his words: “Senator Osita Izunaso and my mother persuaded me to join the APC,they were the greatest influence in my joining the APC. Although, my mother had initially gave,assurances to President Buhari that I was going to join the party back in 2014 with my two brothers who had already joined the party before me. “During that period ,I had already taken the decision to quit politics but when my mother joined the party she promised the then National Chairman of our party ,Chief John Oyegun and President Buhari who was also contesting for President that she was going to bring me to the party.
On how his Mother Mrs. Eunice Kalu convinced him to join APC Kalu said; “When my Mother presented my two brothers to President Buhari he jokingly asked ‘where is the third one’? On the 16th of November 2016 I had some series of meetings with President Buhari and he promised to revamp the Enugu-Express way which he has fulfilled.
Kalu also described President Buhari as a “Promise Keeper”, “President Buhari is a “Promise Keeper” he assured me that he will do the Enugu-Express because I told him that was the quarrel I had with former President Obasanjo I told him if he agrees to do the road that I will join the party and he started the road and the road is almost nearing completion to Umuahia and Aba.
Kalu added “Abia North Senatorial district gave President Buhari 68 percent votes , and APC in Abia North defeated the Presidential candidate of the PDP hands down. The people in Abia-North voted strictly based on party and all other candidates who contested on our platform in our zone had an easy ride. Apart from my mother Senator Izunaso visited me several times to convince me to join the APC , this is why I am celebrating him today, he concluded.
Responding,Senator Osita branded Senator Kalu as a true “leader” , he expressed his gratitude for reception at his residence. Senator Osita in his speech mentioned that he never left the APC but rather stepped aside to resolve certain issues and later returned.
“The truth is I never left the APC , I only stepped aside for a short while to sort out some few issues and I returned after the issues were resolved. I returned in November 10th 2019 and I am happy that his excellency Senator Kalu is reminding me . The All Progressives Congress(APC) is a family party , it is a party that we started from scratch we are the founding members of APC, we are ones that built the party from the very first day” said Senator Osita
He continued ” We wrote the party’s constitution and gave it the name we also created it’s logo and slogan . In fact we created everything about the APC for the very beginning. The APC, remains my home that I am well pleased.
Senator Osita also made it known that he had forgiven those who frustrated him in the party .
In his words ” even the people that tried to annoy us and make us step aside we have also forgiven them , we are back to continue our efforts in developing and nurturing this party. Our intention is to make this party the biggest in Africa and one that we can be proud of.
Corroborating Kalu’s journey into the APC , Izunaso said “Today we thank people like Orji Uzor Kalu , when he realised that APC is the place to be , he approached me and made his intention known. So I assured him that I was going to take it upon myself to ensure that he joined the party . Many people did not know that it was because of him that we staged a rally in “Umuahia” and by the time we entered the venue for the rally there was a massive eruption. So I told our then Chairman John Oyegun that this is the reason we need this man called “Orji Uzor Kalu” in our party.
Izunaso further acknowledged Kalu’s efforts as the reason for the party’s victory in Abia State, he expressed optimism that the party would take over the entire state in 2023.
He said ” Today our party is happy and waxing stronger in Abia State. Before we never had a Senator in that state but now we have , we also have members of the House of Representatives and Assembly from that same Abia-North elected under our party and we are still going to win more including the Governorship. If not for somebody like Orji Uzor Kalu it may have not been possible. We want to thank him to also encourage our brothers and sisters who haven’t joined our party to come and join us because the party is a family one, Izunaso finalised.
