News Editor
By Olu Balogun
Former Abia State governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, on Tuesday said that President Bola Tinubu would complete his two terms in office considering the level of successes he recorded in bold economic, social and political policies.
This was even as he joined many other Nigerians to dissect the book recently launched by the former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, titled: “A Journey in Service”, and declared that it didn’t contain all the realities and therefore advised the author to produce the second edition.
Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Senator Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, also described the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Bashorun Moshood Abiola as a Nigerian coup executed by the military.
Giving more reasons why believed that President Tinubu will win a second term in office in 2027, he pointed out that the ruling APC remains firm in its decision to cede its 2027 Presidential ticket to Tinubu in line with the zoning arrangement to maintain a North-South power balance.
Senator Kalu, who is the chairman of the South East Development Commission, SEDC, added the economic reform policies of the President which he said were already delivering positive economic results.
Using the manufacturing sector as an example the lawmaker stated that the cost of production had reduced to 18.5 percent from 23 percent which it was last year.
He said; “The good news is that we shall win again and President Tinubu will return.
“To be honest with you Asiwaju will win, many Presidents in Nigeria who have not done very well—I won’t call any names and they won their second term. We are appealing to Nigerians to support us.
“We are not going to ruffle ourselves with the APC convention. We have only one Presidential candidate which is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“In line with democratic ethics we are not looking for any other person or candidate but the problem of Nigeria is that you people don’t like to consolidate gains of reforms.
Asking Nigerians to exercise more patience with the administration, Kalu said the stability in the exchange rate is also another indication that the President’s reforms are yielding positive results.
“It might be very difficult today, very hard and people are not finding it easy, but the reform is trickling down, somebody just told me this morning that the Dollar is 1490, so the reform is working but we should be patient.
“I am a manufacturer and I can tell you that Manufacturing costs have gone up, last year it was 23 percent but early this year it has gone down to about 18.5 percent. You can confirm from the The Lagos Chamber of Commerce And Industry (LCCCI) what I am giving you is the real fact.
“I believe that there is hope in these reforms. It is difficult everywhere in the world but the most important thing is that initially they were done in a hurry now the President is taking time with his economic team and you can see that the President is making wilder consultations,” he stressed.
On the former military president’s book, he said: “I look forward to the second edition of Babangida’s book because the first did not reveal all the realities. I was present during the events of June 12, and I know what happened. Babangida should call out the names of those responsible for preventing the election declaration.
“The coup in question was not an Igbo coup; it was a Nigerian coup, executed by the military. Moshood Abiola won that election, and there is no doubt about it.”
The lawmaker said since Abiola had been confirmed to have won the June 12 presidential election, “his picture should be placed among Nigeria’s past presidents.”
“I commend former President (Muhammadu) Buhari for giving him a posthumous national honor, but I would also appeal to President (Bola) Tinubu to officially recognize him and place his image where it belongs. This would help bring closure to his family,” he added.
