Babangida, Kalu In Secret Meeting Over Buhari’s Second Term Bid

As preparations for the 2019 general election gathers momentum, former Military President, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and eminent businessman and former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, met secretly recently, The Eagle Online has learnt.

The meeting, which was held at the Hilltop Mansion of Babangida, sources told The Eagle Online, focused solely on the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Inside sources said the meeting lasted for about one hour.

The Eagle Online gathered that Kalu told Babangida that no matter the pressure from contending forces, his support should be for Buhari to enable him continue with the good work he has been doing since he came into office in 2015 and for the North to have a second term before the presidency moves to the South.

A source close to Babangida told The Eagle Online that Kalu, who was accompanied to the meeting by a member of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Sam Nkire; and a former Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Idi Farouk, solicited support for President Buhari’s second term bid.

It will be recalled that Kalu had during his reign as Governor of Abia State settled the differences between Buhari and Babangida, who had been at loggerheads for many years before then.

The former governor also facilitated the conferment of chieftaincy titles and honourary doctorate degrees on the two retired Generals by the Igbere Council of Ndi-Eze and Abia State University, Uturu respectively.

Kalu, a regular visitor to the Hilltop Mansion of the former President, did not hide his unflinching support for President Buhari all through the closed door meeting with his host.
The Eagle Online was told that Babangida agreed to look into Kalu’s request, with a promise to discuss further with the former governor at a later date.