• Group wants APC to zone House of Reps speaker to S’ East

 

From Felix Ikem, Nsukka and Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu

Executive Director, Centre for American Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Jonah Onuoha, has said allowing the South East to produce next Senate president will ensure equity, fairness and justice in the country.

Onuoha stated this in Nsukka, Enugu State, yesterday, in an interview with Daily Sun. He said former Abia State governor and senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, was the best candidate for the position of Senate president of the 10th National Assembly.

“Kalu has been a strong member of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the country and particularly in the South East where there was strong opposition against the ruling party, but he stood his grounds, campaigned and emerged victorious in his senatorial district. This is the best time to reward his zeal and loyalty to APC by electing him as the next Senate president given that he has what it takes to establish and maintain a harmonious relationship between the legislature and the executive in the interest of the public.

“Electing Kalu will not only boost APC’s image in the South East, but it will also help to pacify Ndigbo and reduce the clamours for secession because of the alleged marginalisation of the people of the area,” he said.

Onuoha, former head of the political department, UNN, urged other National Assembly members and APC stakeholders to rally support for Kalu to ensure he emerge the next president of the Senate.

“Kalu is the former governor of Abia State, a successful businessman, an employer of labour, a ranking senator, detribalised Nigeria, and the current chief whip of the Senate, so he has all it takes is be the next Senate president. I have no doubt, his emergence will not only move the country forward but will ensure robust legislation in the red chamber,” Onuoha said.

Also, Ifeanyichukwu Abada, head of political science department, UNN, said electing Kalu as the next president of the Senate will give the people of South East a good sense of belonging, and a signal that the incoming president of the country is out for an inclusive government that will carry every geo-political zone along.

“Kalu, by all standards, is the right man for the job based on his experience, as a former governor, ranking senator, a loyal party member, and the Senate current chief whip,” he said.

Abada urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South East stakeholders, especially the APC to see the Senate president position was not only zoned to the South East but should endorse Kalu and rally around him to emerge the next Senate president.

Innocent Amuzie, a lawyer and a human rights activist, said zoning the Senate president position to the South East will balance and reflect all-inclusiveness in the next administration.

Meanwhile, as consultations on the leadership of the 10th National Assembly get hotter, the Igbo Mandate Movement Group (IMMG), yesterday, urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone office of House of Representatives speaker to the South East zone.

Coordinator of IMMG, Igboeli Arinzechukwu, who said this at a press conference in Enugu, said following the election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as President and Vice President elects, it was incumbent on the Igbo as one of the nation’s major ethnic groups to begin its own search for its path to the centre. 

“Only four zones could equitably lobby for positions within the National Assembly and it would be common sense politics to zone these positions to these regions to ensure regional balancing as well as fairness and equity.

It suggested member representing Bende federal constituency, Benjamin Kalu for the job.