I gave Obasanjo $1m from in 1998, spent my money to run Abia govt – Orji Kalu

Former governor Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State said he gave $1 million to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1998.

According to the Senator, he also dole out N500 million to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as spending his personal money to run Abia State as a governor.

Kalu, made this known while speaking on a television programme, claimed he never benefited anything as a governor.

The former governor insisted he lost a lot of money due to the decision of former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration to take over a lot of his businesses.

“When I put a lot of money at the time, by then, dollar was big money. Dollar was $84. I gave President Olusegun Obasanjo over $1 million. I gave the party (PDP) over N500 million to start the party.

“They were looking for money. The only few people who could have brought money then were TY Danjuma and Atiku Abubakar. Others had no money. All those people had no money to bring. And that is the truth.

“I spend my own money being governor, like I’m spending my money today being senator. I used to finance the state. That is, I never benefited anything from being governor. Rather, I lost a lot of money. The federal government took a lot of my businesses. So for me, politics had been more dangerous under the Obasanjo federal government at the time.”

“So for me, we are all friends. All this abusing Tinubu, abusing Orji Kalu, abusing Atiku Abubakar, abusing Amaechi should stop. What I think we should do, we should sit down as a family, talk about the needs of Nigerian people and deliver to them.

He, however, said he is more anxious to see Nigerians eating three meals a day, and going on good roads.

“I’m more anxious to see Nigerians eating three meals a day, going on good roads, going to good train stations, going to all these things, working in a decent factory and making decent money. This is what I would like.”