From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
A group, United Nigeria Movement for Equity, Justice and Fairness, has begun to push for the emergence of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, as the president of the 10th Senate, calling for support from all elected members of the 10th Senate.
The group suggested that serious consideration be given to the southeast part of Nigeria and Christian communities that were unhappy with the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field candidates from the same faith in the last presidential election.
Coordinator of the group, Dr Ezenwa Onyirimba, in a statement, indicated that the decision to back southeast for the office of Senate president was taken at the end of the group’s emergency meeting in Abuja, thus calling on the leadership of the party to look into zoning the office of the Senate President to South East.
“A Senate President from the southeast will bring the needed peace and co-existence among all Nigerians and thereby reducing or eliminating the agitation from the zone,” he said.
“A Senate President from South East will give the people a sense of belonging in the party the perceived as a Muslim and non-Igbo friendly political party which will enable our party to penetrate the zone and take advantage of the dying situation of PDP in the zone.
“A Senate President from South East will ensure that the administration of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, will be well accepted by all and also it will show that our party belong to all.
“We as free thinkers have also looked further around the southeast for the most qualified candidate for the job, and we decided that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, is the most qualified, credible and highest ranking member of the 9th Assembly from the zone that is suitable for the job.
“Senator Kalu has exhibited courage and loyalty to Tinubu and the party when he became the first member of APC to publicly back the president-elect to choose a Muslim running mate. His stand made him take so many bullets from the opposition and risked re-election. But it also doused the fears amongst Nigerians that there was nothing wrong in our president having a Muslim vice president.”
He urged all party members to mobilize support for Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, by ensuring that all Senators elect him to avoid a repeat of Senator Bukola Saraki’s system of hijacking the leadership and bringing Asiwaju’s administration distractions
“We believe that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu will be a great team player, asset and backbone in the Senate. A trusted ally of our president-elect for over three decades. We all know that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is well accepted in the religion, tribe and among younger Nigerians. It’s a partnership that will work for all.
“Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has sacrificed so much for APC. He is a loyal party man. He staked his re-election to campaign for Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, in a zone that felt that it was their time to produce the president of Nigeria.
“We all know that Nigerians are waiting on us, the APC, to see how we can navigate through and build the new Nigeria through renewed hope agenda. We must not fail in Keeping our campaign promises and unifying Nigeria and Nigerians. These we can only do when we have a collaborating National Assembly,” he said.