Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, announced yesterday that nine presidential candidates from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) will resign to quash the presidential ambitions of Senate President Dr. to support Ahmad Lawan. APC has 28 presidential candidates so far.

Speaking to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) in Abuja, Kalu also revealed that an influential presidential hopeful from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is also planning to join the APC.

However, Kalu, who was the first to drop his presidential aspirations in favor of Lawan because APC failed to distribute the presidential ticket to the Southeast, did not disclose the names of the contenders.

His words: “Lawan’s candidature will rock like hurricane. The issue of the APC presidential candidate will be settled even before the primaries.

“As I am talking to you, about nine presidential aspirants from our party have intimated me of their plans to drop their presidential ambition to support Ahmad Lawan.

“Does that not signify victory before the election? Lawan’s candidature will rock like hurricane. Lawan is from the Northeast and has similar sympathy with the Southeast that is yet to produce president.

“I have repeated my reasons for dropping my ambition for Lawan severally and I am sure Nigerians are aware already. We are also expecting an influential presidential aspirant from the opposition (PDP) to join the APC.

“So, you can see the party is very progressive and properly ready for Lawan’s emergence.”

Referring to calls by some political parties to postpone the primaries, the former Abia state governor said he did not expect the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to listen to them.

He said the parties were duly briefed and should have prepared well, as instructed by the electoral body.

“Extending the deadlines will only encourage irresponsibility. Nigerians find it difficult to meet time and deadlines and hence are always looking for more time.

“I support INEC to stick to their schedule, otherwise we will live with one postponement after another. Such a trend is not healthy for a society and its people.

“We complain about lack of discipline, but we are not ready to put the requirements of the discipline into practice.

“INEC should discipline any party that doesn’t meet, because that’s the only way they can take their work seriously,” he suggested.