A former Abia State governor Orji Kalu, has told former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, the reasons why he is not supporting his presidential ambition.
He said he is supporting the reelection ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari instead for the sake of the unity of Nigeria and to enable Mr Buhari complete the good work he has started.
He also said he was not supporting Mr Lamido’s ambition because the latter belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party he said looted the Central Bank when it was in power.
Mr Lamido is seeking the presidential ticket of the PDP while Mr Kalu is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Both men are being prosecuted separately by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, for alleged corruption while in office.
“We are good friends but I can’t worship two gods at the same time. You didn’t even inform me formally that you are contesting the way President Buhari informed me,” Mr Kalu told his host on Saturday.
“I don’t have anything against Sule Lamido. As you can see, I’m here with him at his house eating and relaxing,” he told journalists. “If not because of the dinner arranged for me at Dutse, I could have slept here in his house.”
Mr Kalu, who was in Jigawa State to canvass support for Mr Buhari’s reelection, aimed several jibes at former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the public letter he wrote to criticise President Buhari.
He also hurled attacks at Mr Lamido’s PDP.
Responding to his guest’s remarks, Mr Lamido challenged President Buhari to sack Mr Emefiele the way the PDP-led federal government sacked Lamido Sanusi as Central Bank Governor.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan had sacked Mr Sanusi following some allegations against the then CBN governor.
According to Mr Lamido, the APC administration should also sack Mr Emefiele if it is sincere in its claims of wrongdoings by the CBN governor.
“I dare President Buhari to sack him if he is not going to use him the way they claimed PDP used him in 2015 election,” Mr Lamido said.
But Mr Kalu responded with laughter in defence of President Buhari, saying Mr Buhari is not “the kind of person that will order money from CBN illegally the way PDP did without receipts.”
Mr Kalu also spoke on the threat by the New PDP block (nPDP) to quit the APC.
He said he does not belong to the nPDP even though he too was once in the PDP.
“I left (PDP) in 2006 for PPA (Progressive People Alliance) and in 2016 I defected to APC because Nigeria had two serious political parties.
“I have conscience, it is either I play where I am playing now or I don’t play. I will never quarrel with any of my friends or brothers because of political party affiliation.
“I’m a bridge builder to everybody, I don’t care what people will say about me because your friend must not be my friend, likewise your enemy. You cannot see me in between warring parties. But what is certain is that iIwill never reveal your secret to favour the other party.
“Even President Buhari and former President Babangida are friends apart, but I am a friend in between them. I can recall I made peace for them in 2005 in my village; they are not quarreling now.
“Supporters of warring parties might be unhappy because they see me everywhere, but for me, I am not afraid of what people will say. I’m only afraid of my conscience.”
