Choose Between APC, APP, Group Tells Senate Chief Whip

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has been urged “to come clean” and declare his real political interest by choosing between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Action Peoples Party(APP), which he is allegedly romancing with in Abia.

The challenge of stating his true political colour was thrown at Kalu by a socio-political group in Abia under the aegis of The Abia Rescue Movement (TARM), which frowned at the clandestine political activities of the former Abia governor.

In a statement made available to the media in Umuahia signed by its Coordinator, Dr. Onuoha Emezie, the group said that it has decided to put the Abia North Senator on the spot after observing his surreptitious activities that are hurting Abia APC. 

TARM alleged that Kalu has not only been sponsoring the Abia State chapter of APP but has also been fishing in the waters of Abia APC to recruit members for APP.

“But the good news is that many discerning APC members are rebuffing him. Yet, Orji Kalu is not relenting in de-marketing the party and its candidates,” the group said.

 “Senator Kalu’s involvement in APP is an open book which anybody can read. He is the chief recruiter and promoter of the party. His primary hunting ground is Abia APC.”

The socio-political group noted that it was an aberration for a politician to put the right foot in one political party and thrust the left leg in another party.

“Instead of wallowing in pretence and self-deceit, Kalu must choose between APC and APP. He must choose, today, which of the two parties deserves his loyalty. There are no two ways about it. What political system will support a man to be in two political parties at the same time?”

The group said that it was horrified that the former Abia governor and his followers usually regard his antics of double standard as “being smart”, noting that it was foolhardy to hold on to such belief. 

TARM further condemned what it described as veiled attacks on the Abia APC governorship candidate, Chief Ikechi Emenike, noting that it was aware that Kalu has been using fronts to attack the leader of Abia APC. 

According to the group, such attacks on Emenike would not help in the ongoing efforts to make peace and reconcile all divergent interests in Abia APC to build a formidable political force to win the 2023 general election in Abia.

The national leadership of APC had on Wednesday handed over the task of unifying Abia APC to the eight-member peace and reconciliation committee inaugurated at Abuja with Senator Chris Adighije and Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as chairman and secretary, respectively.

TARM therefore urged Kalu to desist from “distractions and destructive antics” and become a promoter of peace and reconciliation, and in doing so, appreciate the favours done to him by the party that in 2019 “breathed fresh oxygen into (his) waning political life.”