An international businessman and Chief Executive Officer of Embassy Wine World, Emeka Bassey Ekpe, has declared support for the re-election bid of Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
The Ohafia-born businessman also promised to mobilise voters for the former Abia State governor and senator representing Abia North.
Ekpe told newsmen in Umuahia on Saturday, that Kalu’s performance in the Senate was unprecedented in the history of the state. He lauded him for attracting quality projects to Abia North senatorial district and urged the people of the zone to unite and re-elect him overwhelmingly.
“Kalu has performed wonderfully well as a senator. His performance is not in doubt; even Mao Ohuabunwa, his opponent, would vote for him. No one is contesting against him because the people have seen his performance. We have had senators before in our zone, but none of them achieved half of what Kalu has done so far. This is an opportunity to announce my support for his re-election,” he said.
Similarly, a political group in Abia State, Concerned Abians Development Initiative (CADI), endorsed the Senate chief whip as its consensus candidate.
Its leader, Lawrence Ubani, in a statement, in Umuahia, said the stakeholders, various youth groups, traditional rulers and community leaders in the state were pleased with the choice of Kalu as the consensus candidate for Abia North senatorial district.
“The group, therefore, calls on other candidates in the senatorial race to accept the choice of Kalu for the interest of peace and development of the state and withdraw their aspirations to honour the decision of the leaders.
“The group equally commends Kalu for redefining the business of lawmaking by attracting dividends of democracy to Abia North senatorial district and Abia State in general. What you’re doing in Abia North is unprecedented in the history of the state. Kalu has attracted development across the three senatorial district. If others achieved half of what you’re doing today, Abia North and, indeed, the state would be first in road network in Nigeria,” Ubani said.
Ubani, who is a renowned medical doctor, further called on other candidates in the race to accept the choice of Kalu in the interest of peace, unity and progress.
He, however, maintained that what Kalu needed is the corporation of political stakeholders to bring more development to the senatorial district and Abia State in general.