A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chibuike Jonas, has condemned anti-Orji Uzor Kalu protest in Abuja and accused a particular politician of recruiting the protesters.

He dissociated the constituents of Abia North Senatorial Zone from the protesters, who, on the platform of Concerned Citizens of Abia North, protested outside the National Assembly on Tuesday, asking the Senate President to declare the seat of the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), vacant.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the APC stakeholder accused the protesters of being sponsored by a “loser who has failed to accept defeat since last election.”

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He said the sponsor of the anti-Orji Kalu protest’s main agenda was to paint “Kalu in a bad light” before the world.

The protest came on a day the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos gave an order for the immediate release of Kalu, who has been in incarceration over an allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Jonas questioned the identity of the protesters, who claimed to have come from the five local government areas in Abia North, saying the existing ban on inter-state movement makes the entire claim irresponsible and unbelievable.

He said Kalu’s outstanding performance in his first year in Senate is far better than the years some lawmakers wasted in the Senate.

His words: “Abia North constituents are happy with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s performance in the Senate.

“Even the few months he has been wrongly incarcerated, he extended so much to Abians. Kalu’s constituency projects are laudable and many Abians would be embarrassed with some Kalu’s detractors’ desperation.

“How can a man, who was sacked for doing nothing for his constituents be recruiting people who don’t even know where Abia North is located to protest against the Senator representing the zone?

“Those Senator Ohuabunwa should swallow his pride and desist from unnecessary distractions because the people of Abia Abia North have great confidence in Kalu and that is why we elected him.

“Paying people N2,000 each to mount an anti-Orji Kalu protest is useless and a waste of time. He should rather channel his energy on things that would add value to his family since he wasted the chance and mandate earlier given to him.”

Vanguard