The Abia State caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday, in Igbere, Bende LGA of the state endorsed the candidatures of Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu and Hon. Nkiru Onyejeocha for Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
This is coming barely a day that the South East leadership of the party in Enugu called on the national leadership of the party to review the current sharing formula which does not favour the zone.
Speaking on the endorsement, former governor of Abia State and Senator elect for Abia North Senatorial Zone, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu said it will be against equity and fairness to deny South East a principal position in the 9th National Assembly.
“I think the party itself should zone the position of the Deputy Senate President to the South East because in the next four years, the only man who brought over 12 million votes alone which is President Muhammadu Buhari will not be there as candidate.
“Therefore, every contribution of all segment of this country is very vital to what we are going to do next. So, leaving the South East behind will not be good. It will be good to make everyone have sense of belonging.
“Our zone improved a lot in the last election. For me, we should always respect the leadership of our party while the leadership should also respect our view.
“It’s in two ways; if you’ve shared and you didn’t share well, include us in the sharing so that we can be able to go out there to continue to seek for peoples vote.”
Speaking further, Kalu said, “The position our people are asking for is legitimate. If all of us sit on the floor and nobody is on the table, we’ll not be able to invite our people to come and eat from the table, because the food will be very far from them.
“But if some Igbos are sitting on the table and our people know that we are already sitting on the table, they’ll come. It is a moral thing and centres on fairness, equity and justice. So, fairness, equity and justice are to be followed, then what we are asking for is not far from the truth.
“I think we should reperesent the truth, fairness, equity and the diversity of the country that made Nigeria what it is. God has made me an Igbo man, a Christian and it is not a curse because it is for a purpose.
“God has made President Muhammadu Buhari a Northerner and a Muslim and it is also for a purpose. Let those purposes be put together for the betterment of our great country.
“So, hence we are able to come in tandem with our national leadership and agree on this appeal we are making, then we can be able to move the party forward and I’m sure by the next election, the South East will be going to give huge percentage to the party. We are speaking as a party.”
Also Speaking, Hon. Nkiru Onyejeocha thanked the party caucus and all members for their support and went ahead to call for a more united Abia APC that will become a formidable force.
Onyejeocha charged the party leader, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu and all other stakeholders to help and ensure that every executive position in the party from ward, LGA to state level will be occupied by committed members who will stand with the party at all times.
Chairman of Abia APC caucus, Senator Chris Adighije said the adoption of Kalu and Onyejeocha is one that is popular and matches the yearnings of all people of the South East.
Adighije stated that APC should not ignore the tripod on which Nigeria stands upon and called for it to be respected by giving the South East what is due to it.
“What we just did today is the right thing to do. Abia State and the entire South East need to be encouraged based on our performance in the last election.
“I believe if we have those positions we’ll do better. The adopted candidates by right, are very qualified. Nigeria is built on a tripod; former North, former East and former West and that must be respected.
“Former North has president, former West has Vice President and since we have lost the Senate President, we believe that the Deputy Senate President is our right,” he said.
Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, the APC Chairman in Abia while making his own point said that it neither Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu nor Hon. Nkiru Onyejeocha that are seeking for the principal positions in the National Assembly.
Nwankpa said it is the collective demand of all APC members in the South East and Abia state. He therefore called on the party national leadership to see their aspirations as a regional demand from the people of South East.
