From Okwe Obi, Abuja

Chinendu Joshua Obika, member-elect of the 10th House of Representatives for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, Abuja has said Miriam Onuoha is the most qualified to occupy the office of the Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives. In this interview, he kicked against the zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he said is skewed against women and argued that intellectualism and competence, which he says Onuoha has should be the yardstick in choosing leaders of the legislature.

Why are you rooting for Miriam Onuoha to become Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives?

Having her as the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives is like using one stone to kill three birds. She is competent. I do not believe in using the sentiments of tribe or zone or inclusion of women as a yardstick to bring someone who will underperform in his or her duty.

Onuoha is competent, she and other women have contributed a lot to the development of this country through their votes. The APC zoned the Deputy Speaker to the South East and she is from the zone.

The APC adopted Benjamin Kalu as its preferred candidate, what do you think of that choice?

In this incoming 10th Assembly, the opposition put together majority seats. If we were a First World country where true democracy is practised, we would not be talking about APC producing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House, but we want a smooth run for this government, and based on that, when the APC zoned this office to the South East, the best thing they would have done was to leave it at that stage. But micro-zoning it to an individual is like usurping our mandate as members of the House. I am of the Labour Party, we have other political parties, and you cannot tell members-elect to be appendages to what people who are not members-elect of the House decided.

Are you airing the position of LP?

This is my own position. As it stands today, Labour Party has not given their support to any candidate in the House.

Why are you optimistic that Onuoha would deliver if elected?

She is competent. You can find out. She was in the 9th Assembly as Chairman of the Disability Committee and we all witnessed all she did. This time around she is contesting for the position of Deputy Speaker.

Do you have any concerns that ‘big boys’ would bully her to step down?

All the so-called big boys in the House have one vote each. All it takes is to talk to other members elect. Today, some people tell me that they micro-zoned the position to Benjamin Kalu, and as I speak Kalu has not spoken to me as a member-elect representing an important constituency in Nigeria,

What is your advice to your colleagues who will be voting?

I will tell them that we have to heal a lot of wounds with the kind of politics we are going to play in the 10th Assembly. To say the fact, I am not a supporter of Tinubu. I am a Labour Party man. But since Tinubu is trying to balance some things like having George Akume come from North Central where I come from, that makes me happy. At least, he has started something. So, we are talking about a woman who is from the South East zone where their own party zoned it to. We are talking about inclusion, we are talking about diversity, we are talking about competence. She has the qualities.

I have spoken to some members elect and they say they hear about Kalu but have not seen him; that is not the kind of leadership we want.

Are you saying Kalu is not competent enough to be the Deputy Speaker?

I did not say so. Kalu is competent because I have read the records of all these people. There are women out there yearning for inclusion in politics.

If your party should sponsor a candidate who is not Miriam would you still maintain your stance?

My party will not sponsor a consensus candidate because we do not have the number to bring a consensus candidate.

Have you reached out to your Constituency on this matter?

I have, women in my constituency voted more and they want a woman’s representation in the House. People in my constituency do not support micro zoning. They can understand the issue of zoning to make sure that zones get this and that for the sake of equity and justice, but they are not in support of micro zoning.

If Miriam does not emerge victorious, would you support the winner?

You have no choice but to support anybody that emerges in the House.

As a first-time member, what will you do differently?

Let me start by telling you that as far back as 1998, I was elected councillor to represent AbujaMunicipal Area Council (AMAC), that is to tell you that I have in-depth knowledge of Abuja. Abuja has a lot of problems; our past representatives have not addressed these problems.