Posted by By Vincent Ujumadu on
THE mother of Governor Orji Kalu of Abia State, Mrs. Eunice Kalu alleged to have fled the country in the wake of harassment by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is very much in Abia State, Vanguard can authoritatively report.
Umuahia - THE mother of Governor Orji Kalu of Abia State, Mrs. Eunice Kalu alleged to have fled the country in the wake of harassment by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is very much in Abia State, Vanguard can authoritatively report.
Mrs Kalu, who is the founder of the Reality Organization, a socio-political group in the state, was sighted in the Abia State capital shortly before the governorship and House of Assembly elections at a meeting where she was strategizing on how to ensure that the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) governorship candidate and candidates for the House of Assembly emerged victorious.
Vanguard saw Mrs Kalu being driven to the home of a well- known business man in Abia State accompanied by some of her close aides without the usual police security.
In fact, her presence in the state was first confirmed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu who told news men in Umuahia that Mrs Kalu was at her home town, Igbere in Bende local government area from where she was calling the political shots since her return into the country.
A top member of the organization who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said that it was the efforts of the woman popularly called ‘mother excellency' that actually made it possible for Chief Theodore Orji of PPA to emerge governor-elect of Abia State while still being detained by the EFCC.
According to her, members of the organization were almost in disarray when Mrs Kalu was reportedly forced to flee the country, adding that her surprise return reinvigorated the organization into more action so as to remain relevant in the scheme of things in Abia State.
'We were all working hard to ensure that our structure remained in government when suddenly political opponents introduced the use of EFCC as an instrument of politicking leading to the arrest of the governorship candidate of PPA and forcing Oduko (Mrs Kalu) to flee the country.
Initially, we were devastated and it appeared as if the world had come to an end. Our campaign for the elections became more or less disorganized. Suddenly, information came to us that Odiuko had come back. When she eventually came to our meeting, everything changed.
The campaign become more focused and we regained the confidence that has been associated with Reality Organization since its formation. Many women who almost lost hope began to converge at the residence of the governorship candidate of the PPA from where our campaigns took off.
Within one week, the difference became clear leading to our victory at the polls. I am not sure we would have won the election if she was outside the state." She hoped that the in-coming administration would continue to realize the relevance of the organization.