2023: Party spokespersons demarketing democracy - Orji Kalu

Some party spokespersons have turned the presidential campaigns to war about trivial issues, Abia senator, Orji Kalu, has said.

He said the party spokespersons have failed to address issues regarding the aspirations of their principals and candidates but have dwelled on frivolous matters and invariably, de-marketing the democratic process.

He made the comment during an interview with journalists on Wednesday.

Although he did not mention the names of party officials guilty of the act, the lawmaker said there are “four leading presidential candidates” in the 2023 Presidential election “but their spokespersons are not giving Nigerians the required information as regards programmes and agenda of their principals on the myriad of challenges facing the nation.

“What Nigerians want to hear from the four leading candidates of the four formidable political parties, is their plans on how to turn around the nation’s economy for the better, end insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crimes and criminalities bedevilling the country,” he said.

“Nigerians are tired of rhetoric on the personal lives of the presidential candidates being churned out by their spokespersons who primarily should be focusing on what their principals have in stock for the people across the various sectors.”

When asked to rate the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, said he (Buhari) has tried in some areas and failed in other areas like any government across the globe.

“President Buhari and his team have done their best within the last seven and half years, preparatory to quitting the stage within the next six months for another set of leaders and by extension, new ideas, policies and programmes,” he said.

He also boasted that as far as Abia North Senatorial District, which he currently represents, is concerned, no other candidate is a match for him.

“In 2023, it will be Kalu vs Kalu in the zone,” he said.