by Azubuike Azikiwe

Former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has asked the ruling party to return the N5.5m he paid for the nomination and expression of interest forms, in the hope that he would be able to contest the party’s ticket for Abia North Senatorial District.

The former governor made the request in a letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, on Monday, 24 November.

He alleged that Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, had planned to hand-pick PDP aspirants in the state, hence, his decision to refrain from contesting.

The letter said in part, “Since I was not screened and neither did I go through any of the stipulated processes that lead to the emergence of candidates, I hereby also ask the party, as a measure of honour and good faith, to refund the nomination fees I paid. I will use the money to further empower my constituents in many other ways.”

Furthermore, Orji Kalu bemoaned that the governor allowed the former Managing Director of Diamond Bank to resign from his position, when he knew that he was eventually going to hand-pick his successor. He also accused him of personally selecting all the candidates into “executive and legislative positions.”

He said, “Along the line, however, it became apparent that the Abia State Governor, Chief T.A Orji wants to hand-pick all candidates, both into executive and legislative position. He wants to choose his own successor, fill the 24 House of Assembly seats, the eight federal constituencies and the three senatorial seats.”

“Governor Orji knew ahead of time that he had a candidate in mind but deliberately allowed eminent Abia citizens, like Dr. Alex Otti, the Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank, to resign from his lofty position, when he should have advised him to remain there.”