Orji Kalu, senator representing Abia north, says the wave of endorsements for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election is based on his performance.
Speaking to journalists at the national assembly on Tuesday, Kalu said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not threatened by any political alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.
Kalu, who chairs the senate committee on the South-East Development Commission, said Tinubu’s leadership has inspired confidence across party lines.
“No, no, no. I don’t think a party like APC has anybody to fear,” Kalu said.
“We are the ruling party. We love Nigeria. That’s why many of us are building industries across the country to create jobs even outside government.
”The opposition must fight. That’s their job. But our job is to deliver, and we are doing our job perfectly well. In the coming years, Nigerians will appreciate what Mr. President is doing.”
On the president’s recent visit to the Vatican, Kalu said it was done at the personal invitation of Pope Francis.
“It would have been disrespectful if he ignored the Pope’s invitation,” he said.
“About 1.8 billion Catholics, including myself, appreciate that gesture. In 2027, Catholics will remember that.”
Kalu said the south-east caucus of the APC endorsed Tinubu’s re-election long before other groups did.
“We endorsed him weeks ago, chaired by Governor Hope Uzodinma and co-chaired by the governor of Ebonyi and the deputy speaker. We initiated the national endorsement,” he added.
Kalu praised Tinubu’s economic policies, including subsidy removal and exchange rate unification.
“I’m not a politician. I’m a businessman. And this is the first president who ended the cheap money culture,” he said.
“People made money from (doing) nothing before. This president is telling us: make money the right way or don’t make it at all.”
He said the benefits of Tinubu’s reforms would soon trickle down to ordinary Nigerians.
“Tinubu is not just a southern president. He will be re-elected by both north and south because it’s in the national interest. We don’t want the country to break, we want it to thrive,” he said.
Asked about his political future, Kalu said he remains focused on delivering development to his constituents.
“You must love people to serve them. That’s why I work hard. I don’t even keep a bank account. Everything I have goes into helping people—through roads, schools, agriculture, and my foundation,” he said.
Kalu noted that his priorities have been infrastructure and education, but will shift towards agriculture by 2027.
