- By Dr. Johnson Greg
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has many qualities to endear him to many objective observers of Nigerian political history.
Among these qualities is his ability to appeal to all parts of Nigeria. Other politicians are good in some parts of the country, but hopelessly unknown or untrusted in other parts.
OUK is amazingly different on this. He has an incredible amount of support in Igbo land as has been so brilliantly demonstrated during his recent visit to the East.
In the North, he is much liked and well received as a trusted friend. In Lagos and the West, he is equally popular. This turns out to be a winning quality for a good politician.
Also, looking at the religious spectrum, OUK gets along well with both Christian and Muslim communities. He is a true centrist politician. He has avoided extreme positions on any issue in Nigeria.
He tends to tow the middle lane and seeks to build consensus along the way. He was able to survive the plot against him because he had friends on both sides. He does not harbor hard feeling even against those who have hurt him.
OUK is like a student who scored B in every subject. In the end, on the average, he did better than students that scored A in some subjects but D and F in some other subjects.
To see a sign of this universal appeal of OUK, only yesterday, both Ohaneze Youths and Arewa Youths came out to endorse him as their choice for 2023. You can imagine what would bring these two “enemies” to agree on anything.
Only OUK can bring Ohaneze and Arewa together. No other politician in Nigeria can do that. That is the sure path to victory. We hope there will be more of this as time goes on. More Nigerian groups will be converging around OUK ticket.
