“Party Spokespersons should rise above Trivialities” – Senate’s Chief Whip
Edwin Akwueh, Abuja.
Ahead of the 2023 Nigerian elections, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has warned the spokespersons of the leading political parties’ presidential candidates against trivialities in their campaigns.
Senator Kalu gave the admonition while fielding questions from journalists in his office on Wednesday.
“Spokespersons of the leading political parties’ presidential candidates are not addressing issues as regards aspirations of their principals, but rather dwelling on frivolous matters and invariably de-marketing the democratic process.
“Everybody in Nigeria knows that there are four leading presidential candidates for the 2023 presidential election, but their spokespersons are not giving Nigerians the required information as regards programmes and agenda of their principals on myriad of challenges facing the nation.
“What Nigerians want to hear from the four leading candidates of the four formidable political parties is their plans on how to turn around the nation’s economy for better, end insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crimes and criminalities bedeviling the country.
“Nigerians are tired of rhetorics on personal lives of the presidential candidates as being churned out by their spokespersons who primarily should be focusing on what their principals have in stock for the people across the various sectors,” he said.
On performance of the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, Senator Kalu said he has tried in some areas and failed in other areas like any government across the globe.
Political leadership, according to him, is like exchange of baton in a race where every participant is expected to play his or her role and go.
“President Buhari and his team have done their best within the last seven and half years preparatory to quitting the stage within the next six months for another set of leaders and, by extension, new ideas, policies and programmes.
“Emergence of leaders at any time in the life of any country is always facilitated by circumstances and situations that are prevalent, making leaders at different times have different challenges to face,” Senator Kalu explained.
He, however, boasted that as far as Abia North Senatorial District is concerned, no other candidate is on ground apart from him:
“In 2023 it will be Kalu vs Kalu in the zone,” he said confidently.
