Former Governor of Abia State and senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has thrown down the gauntlet to Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging him to a public debate on politics, governance, and leadership in the Southeast.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Wednesday night, Kalu dismissed suggestions that Obi had become the political leader of the Southeast, insisting instead that he remains the region’s most consequential politician.
“I’m a member of the APC, and I don’t want to discuss Peter Obi,” Kalu said. “Each time you mention him, I become uncomfortable because I’ve told you before — any day you want to discuss Peter Obi with me, give us two hours, put him there, and put me here. Then we’ll sort it out.”
Pressed further by the programme’s host on whether he acknowledged Obi’s growing influence across the region, the senator was emphatic in his rejection.
“He’s not my leader,” Kalu declared. “I am the most important politician from that zone. I have won two states before under the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). I ran for president before; my 4.9 million votes in 2007 are still there. We achieved a lot with PPA — we had ministers, ambassadors, and other appointments under President Yar’Adua.”
Reiterating his call for a head-to-head debate, Kalu said, “Arrange in your studio a meeting between me and Peter Obi. Put the two of us in the same place, and let Nigerians judge.”
The former governor, who served two terms between 1999 and 2007, maintained that his political record and national relevance remain unmatched in the region. He argued that leadership should be measured by tangible achievements and political reach, not social media popularity.
“Politics is not about noise or sentiments; it is about structure, results, and experience,” he said.
Kalu also hinted at his readiness to return to the presidential race if given the opportunity, saying that age would not deter him from seeking higher office.
“If I’m healthy and God gives me life, I can still contest,” he said. “The question is not age; it’s competency. Look at Donald Trump in America, age is not a limitation to leadership.”
The senator’s comments have since generated mixed reactions, with some analysts describing them as a calculated move to reassert his influence in Southeast politics amid the rising popularity of Obi and the Labour Party.
Others see it as part of a broader strategy to position himself for a future national role within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as President Bola Tinubu’s administration begins to shape alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political observers note that while Peter Obi has captured significant grassroots support across Nigeria since the 2023 elections, Kalu’s long-standing political network and record of building party structures may still make him a formidable figure in the region’s power equation.
Neither Obi nor the Labour Party has yet responded to Kalu’s challenge as of press time.
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