He claimed that the APC would only reward those who are loyal and have worked hard for the success of the party.
A former acting national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Hilliard Etta has kicked against the ambition of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to become Senate President.
Etta gave his reason while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Morning Show program on Wednesday.
He claimed that Kalu didn’t contribute much to the party’s success in the 2023 general elections.
He claimed that the APC would only reward those who are loyal and have worked hard for the success of the party.
“You know, in the past eight years, and I keep saying this, we have had a party that doesn’t reward hard work and doesn’t reward loyalty. I think the President-elect and the new leadership are beginning on a new slate, a fresh slate where people will be rewarded for their hard work and their loyalty.
“We haven’t discussed this, and I don’t want us to go into personality. I want to tell you this: Orji Uzor Kalu is eminently qualified to be the President of the Senate. But even from outside of the party game, I do know that Orji Uzor Kalu didn’t contribute much to the success of the party in this election,” he said.
The former chairman also dismissed the notion that the South East is marginalized by the APC.
He justified the exclusion of South East from the Senate Presidency, saying it had occupied the position many times since 1999.
“You’re aware that from 1999 South East has had about four past Senate President; It’s not as if it is a perpetual thing. I have told you that before the party takes a decision, it would have brought a lot of variables to bear.
“And talking about the South East, I don’t think the South East has been marginalized by the party. The party hasn’t finished its allocation of offices,” Etta said.