A group from the northern part of Nigeria, Arewa Youths, has expressed support for a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, to become the president of the country in 2023.
The group made its position known on Tuesday in a statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator, Yakubu Muhammad; Acting Secretary General, Abdulkadir Muhammad; National Organising Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and the Director of Media and Publicity, Musa Waziria.
It urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to commence a process of adopting Kalu, the Majority Whip of the Nigerian Senate, as the sole candidate of the party.
The group’s statement reads in part, “This may sound odd in the eyes of Nigerians especially those nursing the intention to run for the number one seat in the land.
“Be that as it may, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s acceptability demonstrates the settled resolve of the youths in the 19 northern states to support him to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Kalu is the best bet for the APC in 2023. He is a presidential material with experience in the private sector; executive and legislative arms of government.
“It is imperative to state that, with Nigerians pushing for a President of South-East extraction, the stakeholders in APC need not look any further because the dutiful and detribalised Orji Uzor Kalu is the right candidate for the party.”