The Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the National Assembly leadership of the party to not only cede Senate presidency to South-East but consider former governor Orji Uzor Kalu fit for the upper legislative top post. With just two months to the expiration of the tenure of the 8th Senate, race for succession has begun as some senators who won their re-election bids and those recently elected already joined the race. Political pundits believed that of those perceived to be the key contenders was from the South-East, while three were from the Northeast and the other was from the North-central.

They are Kalu, Senator Ahmad Lawan from Yobe, former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje, Senator Ali Ndume from Borno and Senator Adamu Abdullahi from Nasarawa State. While Kalu hails from the Southeast, Lawan, Goje and Ndume are all from the Northeast. Abdullahi who hails from the North-central complete the expected list of contenders. Addressing newsmen in Aba, APC Publicity Secretary in Abia, Comrade Benedict Godson said that the structural makeup of the current government from executive, legislative and the judiciary had shown that it would be the most infallible and plain sailing decision for the party to cede the senate president to South-East. He said: “For us here, this should not be a difficult decision at all. It is a decision that will show inclusiveness in all ramifications.

The structure of the current government from executive, legislative and judiciary calls for a space for the Southeast to accommodate and integrated. “Our able leader, President Muhammadu Buhari is from Northwest, our Vice- President, Prof YemiOsinbajo from South-West, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari are both from Northeast. “Although the current senate president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are no longer our members, but both are from Northcentral and Northeast respectively. And the Southsouth until recently had the number one position in the judiciary (CJN). Even the National Chairman of our party is from the Southsouth as well.

“This goes to show that the Southeast is the only geo-political zone which has no ranking government official in the hierarchy of power within the APC-led government. So, giving us this one is a no brainer I must say it unequivocally. “Agreed, in 2015 we didn’t do much in terms of sending people from APC to the National Assembly, but the story is different today as we already have an elected Senator and members of House of Representatives. Even in the presidential election, we showed serious commitment and dedication to our party candidate who won convincingly.”

“Those of us from Abia are strongly behind our leader, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and believe he should be considered for the post because he is capable and has collected his certificate of return from INEC and as such now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the Southeast. “People may say he’s a greenhorn in the senate, but we must put records straight, because he is not new in the National Assembly. He was in the House of Representatives in 1991. He was deputy chairman, House Committee on Finance and Immigration, because his party, the National Republican Convention (NRC) was in minority then. He’s not a greenhorn at all.”

Senate presidency: Abia APC rallies support for Kalu https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2019/03/senate-presidency-abia-apc-rallies-support-for-kalu/

Ibo man is the option for that sit!