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The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural body of the entire Igbo nation, has urged Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to continue with his aspiration of becoming the President of the 10th Senate.
The Spokesperson of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Youth Wing, Ambassador Chika Okpala, in a statement yesterday hailed Kalu for standing firm on the representation of the Southeast.
While reacting to an interview by the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi where he urged Kalu to put his Senate presidential interest aside for the interest of the nation , Ohanaeze
said Kalu’s decision to run for the office of the Senate President was for the interest of the geopolitical zone, urging Umahi to support Kalu’s bid.
Ohanaeze said that all geopolitical zones have benefitted from Nigeria except Southeast, arguing that all the Senators-elect should support Kalu’s Senate presidential bid.
The statement read in part: “With the incoming presidency of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima, the two topmost political offices in Nigeria have been taken by the Southwest and Northeast. As such, political expediency, quest for national stability and cohesion dictates that the number three political position and the head of the legislative arm of government should go to the Southeast.
“Historically, the Nigeria federation has always rested on the tripod of three dominant ethnic groups of Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo. Under the current political dispensation, the Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani, which now include Kanuri, have produced the President and the Vice President.
“The imperative of political inclusiveness and arresting the agitation for Biafra in the Southeast, especially among the young people who have been misled into the nefarious activities by IPOB/ESN, support the zoning of the Senate Presidency to the zone.
“The post-May 29, 2023 leadership of two out of the three arms of government presents a unique dilemma for the country. The President as the head of the Executive arm and government will be a Yoruba-Muslim and the Head of Judiciary will remain another Yoruba-Muslim.
“To dilute this equation, political observers and analysts have advocated the need for a strong Igbo patriot who will also be a Christian. The South-South geopolitical Zone has served as Vice President and President for a combined period of eight years since the return of civil rule in 1999. The Northwest has produced the President twice with late President Umaru Yar’Adua and outgone President Muhammadu Buhari, ditto for Northeast that produced a Vice President in person of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from 1999-2007. The Northeast has again retained the Vice Presidency. The most disadvantaged geopolitical zone in Nigeria since 1960 remains the Southeast.
“In terms of political representation in APC, South-South has benefited more than the Southeast since its formation. Chief John Oyegun and Comrade Adams Oshiomole have been National Chairman of APC while Senator John Akpan Udoedehe from Akwa-Ibom served as National Secretary of the APC.
“At the moment, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from Delta State is the Deputy Senate President. It is politically wise to carry the Southeast along politically and the best way to achieve this is to have a man from the region in top three political positions and on order of protocols in Nigeria.
“This is why Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing is solidly behind Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to emerge as the next Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and we urge Umahi, senators from the Southeast geopolitical zone and other senators-elect to support the emergence of the former Abia State Governor. His emergence as the 10th Senate President will entrench peace, unity, fairness and equity, as we believe it is not about his personal ambition, but for the interest of the entire Southeast geopolitical zone.”
