Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) Tuesday dismissed the claim by some opposition political parties that President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are behind leadership crises bedeviling them barely nine months to 2027 general elections.
Kalu, who chairs the Senate Committee on South East Development Commission (SSEDC), debunked the notion while fielding questions from journalists on the state of the nation to mark his 66th birthday.
“Claims being made by some opposition political parties on alleged interference in the workings of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Bola Tinubu or our great party , the All Progressives Congress, are to me, frivolous and harmful to Nigeria’s democratic image,” he said.
He said APC has no control over INEC, adding that the electoral umpire, under the leadership of Professor Joash Amupitan, operates independently.
“The APC as a party has nothing to do with INEC. INEC is an independent body and we have a lot of respect for the chairman of INEC.
“He is an erudite Professor of Law, so, let us stop this frivolity. People should take the electoral process and democracy seriously instead of de-marketing the country,” he said.
He also dismissed the insinuations that the ruling party is coercing politicians, particularly governors, to defect into its fold, stating that party membership remains a matter of personal choice and negotiation.
“President Tinubu has never pressured anyone to join the APC or begged anybody to leave his or her own party for APC.
“So, if a governor decides to join APC, that is his business. When you come, we negotiate, if it is good, you stay, if not, you go your way. Nobody is forcing anybody,” he said.