The senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has said he provided funds for meetings, aircraft and other logistics during the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party, claiming that the party later turned against him despite his contributions.
Kalu said he also financed the activities of former President Olusegun Obasanjo after his release from prison, including providing aircraft for his movements.
He made the claims during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday night.
“I wasn’t the only one with money, to be honest. People like the present Vice President, he had the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he had money, Yomi Edu had money. Many other people and, at the end, General Theophilus Danjuma brought in a lot of money to the party also.
“But I was the one funding the meetings, aircraft, paying honorariums to people that came from cooking food and all the rest of them. That is the truth,” he said.
Kalu said his contributions were driven by his desire to build a strong political party that could end military rule and restore democratic governance.
He, however, said he felt betrayed after investing money and resources in the party, alleging that its members later turned against him.
“I became a food before the PDP because after bringing all the money, they turned against me,” he said.
When the interviewer suggested that he had benefited from the party by becoming Abia State governor on its platform, Kalu rejected the argument, saying his contributions to the PDP were far greater than what he gained from holding office.
“Governor means nothing for what I gave to them. I gave them live wire. When people had no money, I brought in the money to form the party,” he said.
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He recalled supporting Obasanjo after the former president was released from prison, saying he hosted him at his Victoria Island residence and helped finance his movements.
“When President Obasanjo came out of prison, he was in my house. He used to be in Victoria Island. I started funding him, started funding his aircraft, started hiring aircraft and bringing my own aircraft to take him.
“What I got in return is killing off my businesses,” Kalu said.
The senator also claimed that his involvement in politics contributed to the collapse of some of his businesses, saying he had been financially successful before entering public office.
Kalu governed Abia State from 1999 to 2007.
Kalu had previously claimed that he gave the PDP its first N500m and contributed more than N100m towards Obasanjo’s 1998 presidential campaign.
In a March 2017 report by The PUNCH, the former Abia governor also alleged that the party later took over his bank, airline and oil licence.
During Monday’s interview, Kalu also addressed his relationship with former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, whom he described as his mentor and someone he still respected.
Asked whether he received financial benefits from the relationship, Kalu denied it, saying, “I had a lot of friendly benefits from that relationship.”
