His name, Orji Uzor-Kalu known by many as the rabble-rouser of Nigeria politics and to Icheoku, as the Nigeria's real maverick! Unlike the other discredited worn-out mavericks, such as Arthur Nzeribe, Orji Uzor-Kalu is not a praise-singer and does not carry water for anyone. Orji Uzor-Kalu rather takes them head-on. His spectacular affront to Olusegun Obasanjo's ill-advised third term bid, stood him out among the pack. It is this his singular attribute of fearlessness among many others, that have particularly endeared him to our mind. This made Icheoku to once again, take a look at his viability for the office of the presidency of Nigeria and our verdict, without mincing words, is in the affirmative. Icheoku therefore affirms and urge Nigerians to give Orji Uzor-Kalu a chance at the presidency.
This is our second time at pushing his candidacy in recent times and we strongly believe that he can deliver for the people of Nigeria. Orji Uzor-Kalu has the mean, the style, the form, the substance, the mix and mingle, the reach, the ability, the look, the presence, the wherewithal and the charisma to be an effective president of Nigeria. Above all he is acceptable to other tribes and regions of Nigeria including the north, the west, the south and the east. Orji Uzor-Kalu is without any gainsaying, a presidential material!
This is our second time at pushing his candidacy in recent times and we strongly believe that he can deliver for the people of Nigeria. Orji Uzor-Kalu has the mean, the style, the form, the substance, the mix and mingle, the reach, the ability, the look, the presence, the wherewithal and the charisma to be an effective president of Nigeria. Above all he is acceptable to other tribes and regions of Nigeria including the north, the west, the south and the east. Orji Uzor-Kalu is without any gainsaying, a presidential material!
Formerly a foundation member of the Nigeria ruling People Progressive Party (PDP) under which he became governor of Abia State in 1999; before quitting the party to form the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). This former governor of Abia State is currently the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PPA and also chairman of board of Slok Group of companies. Although PDP has been wooing him of late to come back to the party, but he has rebuffed them so far, scoffing at the possibility of his rejoining their fold. He is presently mobilizing the other smaller parties in Nigeria to come together to mount a formidable opposiiton to the ruling PDP. But whether he will succeed, knowing the treacherous political landscape of Nigeria leaves much to be desired. Icheoku says, Orji Uzor-Kalu should reconsider his resistance to rejoining the ruling party, since that will be his surest guarrantee to the presidency. Already, he has the wealth, contacts and experience to make him a serious contender for the office but what is lacking is a credible platform to launch him to Aso Rock. Icheoku knows the political terrain of Nigeria well enough to understand taht the incumbent party always muzzles every opposition out of contention, and hence encourages Orji Uzor-Kalu to swallow his pride and see the ruling PDP as his only viable and meaningful sea-route to Aso Rock. At worst, he should use the PDP as a ladder of opportunity to get into Aso Rock; thereafter he can kick it to the curbside or reform it to be more accomodating of other descenting view-points! Also all the Ali Baba and the forty thieves politicians in Nigeria are not reliable and they will sabotage his effort at the crucial moment when push comes to shove, like they did with Muhammed Buhari's ANPP.
Orji Uzor-Kalu's fury over the utterance of the leadership of the PDP that it plans to rule Nigerian for the next 60 years is one area of agreement with Icheoku as such idiotic comment exhibits crass arrogance. But for Orji Uzor-Kalu to be prepared to wait for Nigerians to rise up against the PDP will be a wait till hell freezes over as Nigerians are the most complacent and cowardly human-beings ever to walk the face of the earth. Like a paid call-girl, Nigerians will always stoically take it through the rear than to push for desirable change - from Buhari/Idiagbon to Babangida to Abacha to Abudulsalam to Obasanjo it is same old same old; Nigerian timidity in the face of oppressive earth-scorching brutality in the hands of their leaders. Fela Anikulapo Kuti preached resistance but died before any meaningful headway; Tai Solarin also went away unfulfilled; Beko Ransome Kuti also went home to his fathers, disappointed; Gani Fawehinmi has been like John the Baptist shouting from the mountain-top ever since this blogger can remember, but nobody seem to be listening to his clarion call that Nigerians should effect their destiny; so expecting Nigerians to rise up aganst an incumbent party is an unreasonable expectation under the circumstance. Orji Uzor-Kalu therefore, must come to terms with reality and explore the best option possible available for him - join the PDP in oder to realize his dream sooner than later. That Nigeria will one day become a failed state like many others in Africa or lapse into a conflagrating culdrum, if the current pervasive downward-spiral trajectory is not checked as a matter of ultmost urgency; the henchmen of Nigeria having blatantly refused to yield the levers of power ever since independence, with one section of the polity continuously being blatantly marginalized is not a far-fetched possibility.
In conclusion therefore, Icheoku, not known to be a water-carrier of anybody, sees in this ebullient man, Orji Uzor-Kalu what the doctor ordered for Nigeria's emacipation from its doldrums. He is brave; he is successful, he is dynamic, he is sociable; he is hungry for the right reason - to bring desirable change to Nigeria; he exudes hope and confidence; he is young and he has made some exploitable contacts both in Nigeria and abroad. Orji Uzor-Kalu is, simply speaking, the missing link between Nigeria and the heights it can attain as a nation. Icheoku has written on this man before, and once again we are emphasising his attributes as the most positioned amongst the Igbo nation to take on the Nigerian project. Although some antagonists may label him as 'crooked' but Icheoku asks, who in Nigerian politics is a Mother Theresa? It takes a thief to catch a thief, so a smarter thief is all that Nigeria needs instead of a dumb one like Olusegun Obasanjo. Now that we have thrown our hats in the ring, Icheoku will continue to urge Orji Uzor-Kalu to move back to the PDP and exercise his options from within, knowing fully well that succeeding from outside will be a deathly impossibility. Orji Uzor-Kalu has several contacts inside the PDP which he can effectively exploit to re-position himself and eventually secure the party's eastern nomination at the end of Umaru Yar'Adua's term; when it will be rightfully the turn of the Igbos to produce Nigeria's presiedent. Remember that even if Orji Uzor-Kalu were to be a Barack Obama of Nigeria, the Barack Obama of USA at least used a well established existing-platform of the Democratic Party, rather than one inconsequential third party, to secure the White-house. Orji Uzor-Kalu, Icheoku hopes you get it? Until then, let every Nigeria keep HOPE ALIVE! The Nigeria Project is a collective effort! All hands should be on deck! Nigerians, in one resounding voice, shout, YES WE CAN!
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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