Former Abia State Governor and Senator for Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has said that President Bola Tinubu was unhappy with the low number of votes he received in Abia State during the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking through a post on his official Facebook page, Kalu noted that Tinubu’s 4% vote share in Abia was concerning, especially given the strong presence of APC figures in the state during the election. According to him, the result was disappointing not just for the president but also for his allies who worked hard during the campaign.
Kalu, who hosted a stakeholders meeting at his Abuja home, explained that the gathering was aimed at bringing together members of the APC in Abia to foster unity and work towards better results in the 2027 elections. He stressed that the meeting was purely for APC party affairs and did not involve discussions about the performance of Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
The Senator made it clear that he did not criticize Governor Otti during the meeting. He pointed out that he has a policy of not speaking publicly against his successors, adding that only voters have the right to judge the performance of any leader.
Sharing his thoughts on the 2023 election outcome, Kalu recalled, “For example in 2019 when I joined the APC, President Buhari made 68% in our constituency but President Tinubu came back to make only 4% in the entire Abia in 2023, he was not happy with the political numbers of Abia. He has a friend like me and he has other people that are his friends and we can only make 4%. Even me I can’t even believe it.”
He also noted that it is important for the South East to align itself with the wider national political direction. “The South East as a whole has to belong where other Nigerians are sitting,” Kalu said.
