The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has lashed out at Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, describing him as a "kindergarten politician" when compared to former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
The remarks followed Kalu’s appearance on Channels Television on October 8, where he claimed to be the most prominent politician in the Southeast and dismissed Peter Obi’s political relevance.
“Peter is not my leader. I’m the most important politician from that zone. I have won two states before under the PPA. I have run for president before. My 4.9 million votes are still there since 2007,” Kalu had stated.
In a press briefing held in Abuja on Sunday, October 12, the National President of OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, criticized the senator’s comments as “delusional” and urged him to refrain from media engagements that undermine his credibility.
“Orji Uzor Kalu cannot rival Mr. Peter Obi’s political influence, acceptability, and popularity in the Southeast and across Nigeria. He should humble himself and learn from Obi’s political trajectory,” Igboayaka said.
The youth group credited Obi with redefining political participation in Nigeria, highlighting his 2023 presidential election performance where he won in all five Southeast states, Lagos, and the Federal Capital Territory, an unprecedented feat for an opposition candidate.
The group further described Obi as the only Nigerian politician to organically inspire nationwide political participation, particularly among the youth, through the emergence of the “Obidient Movement.”
Igboayaka also revisited past allegations against Senator Kalu, referencing his 12-year sentence over a ₦7.56 billion fraud case later overturned as evidence of “a compromised judiciary and failed political system.”
He dismissed Kalu’s claims of winning two states under the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) as a product of alleged electoral malpractices under former INEC chairman Maurice Iwu.
“Kalu’s political rise was built on fraudulent electoral outcomes. Even in Abia State today, he cannot win any credible election,” the OYC president stated.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Igboayaka warned that the youth movement led by Peter Obi would launch a “ballot revolution” to challenge the political establishment and resist electoral manipulation.
He asserted that Obi would be on the ballot “under any party platform” and cautioned that attempts to subvert the will of the electorate could lead to national unrest.
As of press time, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu had not issued a response to the statements made by the Ohanaeze Youth Council.
