Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu, says he has picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) form for the Abia North Senate seat.

Mr Kalu, in a statement he issued in Abuja, said that his desire to return to senate was to complete the work he started in his constituency.

He announced that his withdrawal from the presidential race was the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party and APC to zone their tickets to the South-East.

The former Abia governor said since there is no zoning and the contest is open to all Nigerians, he was withdrawing from the 2023 presidential contest.

“I have also picked a ticket to run for Abia North Senatorial zone to complete the good work I started in Abia North,” he said.

Mr Kalu said he was congratulating Senate President Ahmad Lawan for picking the APC form to contest for president of Nigeria.

“I am most glad because he is from the North-East, the only zone alongside the South-East that is yet to produce the president of Nigeria.

“I have always maintained an unambiguous stand that for justice, equity and fairness in our country, the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari should come from the South East or the North-East.

“I have also told Nigerians that I would only run for president if the two major political parties, APC and PDP zone their tickets to the South-East.

“That is why I was disappointed with our southern brothers who are talking about fairness and equity but have zero tolerance for the same fairness and equity in the South.

“In the absence of a south-easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a north-easterner.

“This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness and Justice everyone is talking about. It further means that justice is on its way to the South East,” Mr Kalu said.

Mr Kalu commended his supporters, urging his “friends, allies and supporters in the APC to toe the line of justice by supporting Sen. Ahmad Lawan, a north-easterner for the presidential ticket of the APC.”

(NAN)