-By Austen AKHAGBEME:

For some time now, Senator Uzo Kalu has been under crossfire from the political class of his native Igbo extraction, being vehemently berated by his people for “jettisoning” the age-long desire of Ndi Igbo to produce the next president of Nigeria, as he opts for the north-eastern alternative for succour.

To him, the pain, anguish and disappointment associated with the refusal of the political parties to zone the Presidency to the South East can only be ameliorated by the subsequent adoption of the North East as an alternative destination for the nation’s most revered office. This is the true definition of Justice and equity as far as the former governor of Abia state is concerned.

For a man who had in the past, championed the Igbo cause and suffered the loss of established and thriving personal businesses in return, one finds it very awkwardly unusual for him to easily and urgently throw his weight behind a region other than his own.

We can recall that the Senator practically cut his business teeth in the Northeast and had a great youthful experience as a business start-up in the region. Does this have any equivalent resonance with his “strange” decision, surreptitiously enveloped in the garb of Justice, fairness and equity today?

Or is this a mere search for vendetta against the Igbo elites in particular and the general elite club of political power brokers, mongers and pugilists across the nation, who did not give him the chance to be the arrowhead of this ethnic struggle and battle? What about the belief in some quarters that his sudden love for the geopolitical east is a tacit solicitation for a possible vice presidential slot in the APC when the chips are down?

Senator Kalu’s avowed “political realism” was quite noticeable when he stated much earlier in the preamble to the race that he will withdraw his candidacy when the parties refuse to zone the presidency to his region, as this amount to a -no -vacancy signal. His crystal ball became so accurate that he could not outrightly be faulted. Again, could this be traceable to his self declared pan Nigerian disposition as he often boasts of his being the most detribalized Igbo politician alive now?

Is Senator Orji Uzo Kalu’s action or inaction a betrayal of the Igbo course or a tactical individual move for political survival and relevance? Is it a mere vindictive jab at perceived political rivals or a wide ego trip propelled by sterile anger and negative energy? With Nigerian politicians, you never can tell.

• Austen AKHAGBEME is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online