Former Abia State governor and serving senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has confirmed recent attempts to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio, adding that the plot was thwarted through the intervention of some lawmakers.
Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Senator Kalu also backed the United States President, Donald Trump’s recent comments on killings in Nigeria.
Addressing reports of the attempted impeachment of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Kalu dismissed the tension as a “family misunderstanding.”
“There were attempts, but we didn’t allow that to happen,” he said. “We are one big family, and it’s not going to happen.”
“If it’s a lie, then the answer is that it’s not a lie because he said the truth,” Kalu said.
On Trump’s issue, he added that “Nigerians are being killed whether they are Christians or Muslims. There are jihadists who just want to destroy Nigeria. We should blacklist them without pity so that they will be smoked out.”
The senator revealed that he had personally discussed Nigeria’s security situation with two former U.S. Presidents — one Republican and one Democrat — as well as six serving U.S. Senators, who expressed readiness to assist Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
“Before President Trump says a word, the American intelligence community must have found out where these terrorists are located,” he added.
“You can see that the Nigerian Air Force is already acting, possibly using information shared by the U.S. to bomb terrorist hideouts. That’s how it should be.”
While aligning himself as “pro-America,” Kalu however argued that the global instability fuelling terrorism today stemmed from the US-led invasions of Libya and Iraq, which led to the collapse of border controls and proliferation of weapons across Africa.
“When you killed Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, it became a problem because those people were maintaining their borders,” he explained.
“After their deaths, light and heavy arms spilled all over the world and we are suffering from it today.”
Kalu dismissed insinuations that the U.S. was targeting President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying Washington’s focus was on extremist networks destabilising Nigeria.
“Nigerians are clapping hands and political opponents are thinking that the U.S. is after Tinubu’s government. No! They are going after the jihadists,” he clarified.
Responding to speculation that Abia State Governor Alex Otti may defect from the Labour Party to the APC, Kalu said neither President Tinubu nor any APC leader had pressured anyone to join the ruling party.
On Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Kalu expressed confidence that the APGA governor would “eventually come home.”
Assessing the state of the economy, Kalu acknowledged the hardship Nigerians are facing but insisted that macroeconomic indicators show improvement
