Abuja – Political commentator Longers Anyanwu has come to the defense of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK), rejecting claims that the former Abia State governor acquired assets in the United States solely due to his gubernatorial tenure.
In a recent statement reacting to a viral video, Anyanwu traced Kalu’s prominence in Nigerian politics and business to decades before he became governor in 1999. He noted that Kalu played a pivotal role during the formation of political parties that emerged from the military era, hosting meetings at his Victoria Island, Lagos residence where key groups from the West, North, and East convened, eventually contributing to the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to Anyanwu in a post on Facebook page, Kalu was already a major figure in the maritime, banking, and aviation sectors prior to his tenure as governor. He cited Kalu’s ownership of commercial ships, banks operating across Nigeria and West Africa, and Slok Airlines, as well as manufacturing industries in Apapa, Aba, Igbere, and other locations in West Africa.
Highlighting his political achievements, Anyanwu emphasized that Kalu, alongside former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was among the few governors capable of founding his own political party. He pointed to the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), which Kalu established and which went on to win elections in Abia and Imo states in 2007.
“These facts underscore that any suggestion Kalu’s overseas assets are a product of his governorship is both fallacious and an affront to his decades-long record of accomplishment,” Anyanwu said.
He concluded by asserting that Senator Kalu has been a prominent figure in Nigeria’s business and political landscape for more than three decades and is “an accomplished achiever in every ramification,” irrespective of critics or political opponents.
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