Former Abia State governor and Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, has revealed a partnership with former Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State to produce the next president and deputy of the 10th Senate.
OsunDaily News reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have backed Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin for Senate President and Deputy, respectively.
But addressing journalists in Abuja, the erstwhile governor of Abia State said sponsors and supporters were on ground, adding that details of his partnership with Yari would be unveiled soon.
He said: โWe wonโt disappoint Nigerians. We are capable of representing ourselves. Yari-Kalu or Kalu-Yari wonโt disappoint Nigerians. We will give Nigerians what they require, and the Nigerian people wonโt be disappointed.โ
While declaring he would not step down for anybody, Kalu said the move was to ensure that only the most popular candidate emerges as leader of the next Senate, adding thatย the partnership would consult exhaustively.
However, The Guardian reveals that Orjiย Kalu might have settled to be deputy to Yari.
Asked the candidate for the Senate presidency, the Abia lawmaker responded: โItโs what we donโt know now. This is why it is coming out in the coming days. We are not greedy about it. We are going to face realities. We are going to get a support base. It is not going to be problem. The most important thing is to have an independent legislature that will represent the interest of Nigerians, and represent also, the interest of our colleagues.โ