Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu has said he will only contest for the office of president if the All Progressives Congress zones its ticket to the South East.
The former Abia State governor also said that he has 13,000 Nigerians under his employment across different sectors of the economy.
Responding to questions from journalists on presidential aspirants, he said anyone aspiring to become Nigeria’s president should be an individual with the capacity to improve the economy, and security and make all Nigerians happy.
“I have told Nigerians that if it is zoned to the South-East, I’m already a candidate because I am not desperate. But I am anxious to change the way of living and the economy of Nigeria which is what I know how to do best.
” I can change the economy in four years, I can bring back the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to be competing with the U.S. and Japan and all the rest of them.
“I can bring back the capacity utilisation to be under 4 and 5 per cent like a hurricane.
“Everybody says he is a presidential aspirant, what is the experience, the public service experience, the capacity to build, I employ 13,000 workers in Nigeria and I have the capacity to manage people.
“But the party is supreme if it zones the presidential position to South-East, I am number one candidate, there are only two zones that have never been President- the South- East and North –East.
“So, if they bring it to my zone, I am capable, I have everything it takes to deliver the APC to victory.
“Not by talk, but by action, I will rework the economy that every Nigerian, no matter where you live or stay will be happy in your pocket, in your house, with sustained electricity and water supply.
“I will bring back the proudness of Nigerians to carry Nigerian passports, I am capable of doing that. Anybody that wants to be president must be a president that will be able to work for the Nigerian people, the two major things a president should look at are the economy and security. These are areas of focus to bring back our economy to be a running economy.”
He said the current state of the economy was a reflection of the economic downturn in the world, noting that economies all over the world are experiencing challenges.
“It is not the cause of President Buhari, there is a worldwide economic downturn, I have businesses all over the world and these businesses are not doing well.
On the success of the APC convention, Kalu attributed it to wide consultations made by President Muhammadu Buhari that resulted in the emergence of Sen. Abdulahi Adamu, via consensus arrangement.
“Mr President in his wisdom was able to solve the problem, do you know how much money was saved from the pockets of aspirants by that consensus?
