2023: Engage FG to Free Kanu Instead of Attacking Tinubu –APC Chieftain Tells Kalu

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Ambassador Nurain Abayomi Mumuni has advised former Governor of Abia state, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to desist from attacking former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

Mumuni who contested the gubernatorial election on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in 2011 in Lagos State asked Kalu and other politicians in the South-East region to engage FG on how to free the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instead of blaming politicians like Tinubu.

Recalls that Tinubu had on Monday visited President Muhammadu Buhari and told him of his ambition to contest the presidential election on the platform of the APC come 2023.

But the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu while speaking on Thursday declared that the ruling APC does not belong to Tinubu. 

Kalu who spoke during an interview on ‘The Morning Show’ programme of Arise News Television, said that he did not snub President Muhammadu Buhari by not going to inform him about his presidential bid at the Aso Villa like other aspirants like Tinubu. 

Mumuni while reacting to Kalu’s outburst said that it is better for Kalu to plead for the release of Kanu instead of blaming Tinubu. 

The APC chieftain advised like-minds like Kalu and others from the East to engage the FG in the way forward to solicit the release of Mazi Kanu from remand instead of chasing a wild goose in daylight. 

He described Kalu’s statement as unfortunate, very careless utterance that should be corrected. 

Mumuni in a statement made available to journalists on Friday, explained that Kalu who was welcomed into the party in 2016, a year after the election that ushered in Buhari does not have the nerve to call out Tinubu about his (Tinubu) presidential ambition. 

The APC Chieftain in the statement explained further that people soliciting for political offices like Kalu should be mindful of their utterances. 

He said, “Despite not declaring support for any candidate yet, I believe Kalu’s remarks about Tinubu is an unfortunate, very careless utterance that should be corrected. If it’s not corrected today, another person who didn’t know what we went through in laying the foundation of the party will come tomorrow to insult our collective responsibility.

“Kalu lacks the temerity to make such statement about Tinubu. He was welcomed into the party in 2016, a year after the successful election that ushered in President Buhari. He was inactive in Progressive People Alliance (PPA) for almost a decade after he had issues with his people in PDP in 2006. We know his story, but we decided to keep mum for the progress of our party. 

“People soliciting for political offices should be mindful of their utterances. Where did Kalu attain such guts to vomit that Tinubu is not the owner of APC? Has he forgotten that he is one of those political migrants from PPA and PDP. 

“Where was Kalu when we actualized the APC of today that he ran to with the merger of our parties CPC and ACN? He should be mindful of his utterances and face his agenda.

“Of course, Tinubu doesn’t own APC, but he is among the founding fathers. So, it doesn’t befit an overnight stranger to come and tell us what we know. We the founders of APC should be the ones to activate such statements, not migrants from another party with zero knowledge of how we struggled to actualize APC. At least, voicing out will display that we the Yorubas will not allow our own to be roasted, despite his shortcomings.

“I will advise like-minds like Kalu and others from the East to engage the FG in the way forward to solicit for the release of Mazi Kanu from remand instead of chasing the wild goose in daylight,” he added.