By Okoroafor Uchechukwu
It is no longer news that against all odds, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had zoned the position of the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives to South East unlike in 2019 when the zone was passed over, getting nothing in both Chambers of the National Assembly.
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The party, recently released its zoning template for the presiding officers’ seats with Senators Godswill Akpabio (South-South) and Barau Jibrin (North West) picked as preferred candidates for senate president and deputy senate president respectively.
In the House of Representatives, the party endorsed Tajudeen Abbas from the North West as the speaker and Benjamin Kalu from the South East as deputy. Hon Benjamin Kalu who represents Bende Federal Constituency is the current spokesperson of the 9th House of Representatives from Abia State. Abia has common boundary with Ebonyi State. As a matter of fact, many parts of Ebonyi State used to be part of Abia State. The former minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who is from Ebonyi State was the first elected civilian governor of Abia State. Ebonyi was expected to be happy for their brothers in Abia State that had been anointed by the party to become the next deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Especially as the Ebonyi State governor Dave Umahi lost out in the race for Senate President because the party in its wisdom zoned the position to South South and Umahi was the first South East senator-elect to announce his stepping down for Godswill Akpabio.
Having lost the Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker, many would have thought that all South Easterners should support Benjamin Kalu including the APC in Ebonyi State. Strangely, it was from Ebonyi that we are getting reports that Benjamin Kalu should not have been picked for the position of Deputy Speaker.
It recently emerged in the media that the All Progressives Congress (APC) anointed candidate for the deputy speakership position, Benjamin Kalu, is facing a fresh hurdle as Conference of Network of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria wants the slot zoned to Ebonyi State.
The APC National Working Committee had zoned the position to the South East in a bid to give the region a sense of belonging.
But its National Coordinator, Victor Kalu, at a press briefing, in Abuja, argued that Abia State, where Kalu hails from already has presiding officers in the National Assembly saying it was partial for the APC NWC to have adopted the representative of Bende Federal Constituency in Abia, when Ebonyi State overwhelmingly voted for the governing party.
“We are concerned over the decision of the National Working Committee NWC of the ruling APC to anoint and tag the name of Benjamin Kalu for the Deputy Speaker position of the 10th National Assembly zoned to the South East. While, we equally commend the party for zoning the Deputy Speaker position to the South East, it should be micro zoned to Ebonyi State based on their immense contribution to the development of APC in the South East.”
The group called on the leadership of the APC to allow leaders, stakeholders of the party and lawmakers-elect to decide who is best qualified to represent the zone in that capacity.
“If they must be fair, they should consider Ebonyi State members’ elect, for the position as a reward for hard work and party loyalty.
“Currently, Abia State which did not deliver 25 per cent to the APC in the presidential election occupies the position of Deputy Whip in the House of Representatives in the person of Nkiruka Onyejiocha; Ben Kalu as spokesperson; and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as Chief Whip in the Senate all from Abia. And now you zone the Deputy Speaker position to Abia State, where is justice, principle of balancing and Federal Character in line with the party constitution.”
The group appealed to the APC leadership, particularly the President-elect Bola Tinubu to retract their position.
“We have very reputable, competent, experienced members-elect from Ebonyi State whose sterling profile, leadership and legislative experiences is qualified enough to occupy the Deputy Speakership position of the 10th National Assembly,” it said. They have the right credentials with their bipartisan approach to deputise the speaker.”
The Conference of Network of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria sounded very pedestrian in their argument on why Abia and Benjamin Kalu should not occupy the position which borders on childishness that ordinarily it does not deserve any attention but it is also important to state that Tinubu and APC NWC was not wrong in the choice and faith they had in Hon Benjamin Kalu.
Right now, opposing Kalu’s nomination for Deputy Speaker is tantamount to crying over spilt milk. What he needs now is not opposition but prayers to succeed in his next national assignment. Already he has the natural and acquired capacity for the job, what remains is the God’s factor so that he would become the best Deputy Speaker ever!