Put Aside Your Political Differences with Tinubu, Orji Uzor Kalu Advises Lawal
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has advised the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, to put aside his political differences with President Bola Tinubu and work towards a harmonious relationship that will benefit the people of the state.
Kalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made this call on Monday while commissioning the newly constructed Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and renovated Zamfara College of Arts and Science in Gusau, the state capital.
According to Kalu, the people of Zamfara State risk losing out on major development projects if the governor fails to play “political economics” with the President.
He emphasized that this does not mean the governor should abandon his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but rather maintain a good working relationship with the President, who is a key figure in the APC.
Kalu drew from his own experience as a former governor of Abia State, where he maintained a good relationship with President Tinubu, despite being from different political parties at the time.
“The President is not only my brother; he is my friend. People thought we met when we were governors, no. My children used to live in his house. Mrs. Tinubu brought those girls up because we were living in Abia but they schooled in Lagos. They lived in Marina, in the President’s house,” Kalu revealed.
The senator urged Governor Lawal to follow his example and prioritize the development of Zamfara State by working with the Federal Government. “Once you leave economic diplomacy and play politics, you will lose, Zamfara people will lose. Go and take the federal money. If you do politics, you leave the federal money.
If you do political economics, you get the federal money and develop Zamfara State,” Kalu advised.
Kalu’s call comes at a time when the APC has been gaining momentum, with recent defections of Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) from the PDP to the APC. The ruling party now boasts of 23 governors out of 36, a development that has sparked concerns about the potential for a one-party state.
However, President Tinubu has refuted this claim, stating that his administration is committed to democratic principles and the rule of law.
In his Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2025, President Tinubu emphasized the importance of political tolerance and cooperation, urging politicians to put the interests of the nation above party affiliations. Kalu’s advice to Governor Lawal appears to be in line with this vision, as he seeks to promote a spirit of cooperation and development in Zamfara State.
