Uzor Kalu Mascot

Orji Uzor Kalu (born 21 April 1960) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who is the senator representing Abia North Senatorial District. He served as governor of Abia State from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.

Kalu is the chairman of SLOK Holding and the Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria. Prior to his election, he served as the chairman of the Borno Water Board and the chairman of the Cooperative and Commerce Bank Limited. Kalu was also a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), and chairman of the PPA Board of Trustees. He was the party's presidential candidate in the April 2007 general election.

He is currently a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) after officially announcing his resignation as the PPA BOT chair. Orji Uzor Kalu contested in the 2019 Nigerian general election to represent the people of Abia North in the senate, running under the banner of All Progressives Congress. He defeated the incumbent senator Mao Ohuabunwa with over 10,000 votes.

Born to Mr. Johnson Uzor Nesiegbe Kalu and Mrs. Eunice Kalu, Kalu began trading palm oil with just $35, buying oil from eastern Nigeria and selling it in northern regions, later expanding into furniture resale.

He established SLOK Holding, a conglomerate including companies like Ojialex Furniture Company, SLOK Nigeria Limited, and SLOK Airlines. Kalu became the youngest Nigerian to receive the National Merit Award from President Ibrahim Babangida at age 26 in 1986.

He was honored with multiple awards, including the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce’s Industrialist of the Year, the Humanitarian Award from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the World Bank Leon Sullivan Award.

He attended Christ the King School Aba, Government College Umuahia, Barewa College Zaria, and the University of Maiduguri, where he studied political science. As a student activist, he participated in the 'Ali Must Go' riots, leading to his suspension. He later left school to start his business.

Kalu holds a degree from Abia State University, a Certificate in Business Administration from Harvard University, and honorary doctorates from the University of Maiduguri and Abia State.

He headed First International Bank Limited at age 33 and managed Nigerian commercial relations with China’s SinoPacific Shipbuilding company.

On 11 July 2007, Kalu was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on corruption charges while serving as governor. Released on bail, he accused the Obasanjo regime of persecution.

He was later convicted in December 2019 and sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud involving Abia State. The Supreme Court ruled on 8 May 2020 that his conviction was wrongly conducted and ordered a retrial. He was released from prison on 3 June 2020.

Kalu married Ms. Ifeoma Ada Menakaya in December 1989 and has four children: Neya Uzor Kalu, Michael Uzor Kalu, Olivia Uzor Kalu, and Nicole Uzor Kalu.

In 1999, he was elected governor of Abia State on the PDP platform. He was re-elected in 2003. In 2006, he left the PDP to form the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA). He contested for the presidential seat in 2007 under PPA.

In 2011, he ran for the Abia North Senatorial candidate on PPA’s platform. He rejoined the PDP in 2012, then returned to PPA in 2015 to contest for the Senatorial Election.

In 2016, the Supreme Court ruled that he should stand trial, nine years after his initial legal battle with the EFCC. He joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2016.

In 2018, he was given the title Danbaiwan-Hausa by the Emir of Daura in President Muhammadu Buhari’s hometown. He contested for the Abia State Senatorial Election in 2019 and won.