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| Orji Uzor Kalu |
The Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders in Abia State on Wednesday faulted a former governor of the state, Chief Orji Kalu, over his claim that he funded the state for the first six months into his tenure as governor in 1999.
While giving his testimony at the resumed hearing in a case of N7.6bn alleged fraud instituted against him before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, Kalu had said he governed the state with his personal money within the first six months of his first tenure.
But speaking on behalf of the PDP stakeholders in the state in Abuja on Wednesday, a party chieftain, Mathew Ibe, asked the former governor to apologise to the people of the state within 48 hours.
Ibe described Kalu’s statement as derogatory, hence the need for him to apologise to the people of the state.
He said if he failed to apologise, the party stakeholders would brief the national leadership of the party on Thursday in Abuja on the next line of action to be taken against the former governor.
The party chief said Kalu’s claim in his defence on the amended 39-count charge of money laundering was capable of dragging the name of the state in the mud.
“We demand an apology from Kalu within 48 hours or we will drag him to court for breach of public peace because right now, our people are not happy with his claim,” Ibe said.
Also, the National President of the Ohaneze Youth Movement, Uche Nnandi, criticised the former governor for the statement.
Nnandi described the statement as an insult on the sensibility of the people of the state and the entire South-East.
