All Progressives Congress (APC) choice for deputy speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has said the Abbas/Kalu joint House of Representatives ticket of the 10th National Assembly has been boosted with over 260 members-elect.
Kalu, who made this known at a media parley with journalists in Abuja, said he was hopeful that the party’s choices would sail through at the inauguration, amid protest by other contenders for the top job.
The lawmaker who is at present the chairman of the House Committee on Media, said the choice of the South East for the position was justified despite the low votes the APC got during the presidential poll.
Responding to a question on the support they were getting from the members-elect, he said, “This is democracy and all the people who have shown interest in the contest are qualified to run for this position. All we can do is when the party has pointed to the direction it has pointed, many will be aggrieved.
“What you do is not to ignore them, you don’t take it for granted that the party has anointed you and it is an easy sell. No. What we are doing is deliberately taking steps toward making the members buy into the party’s position, also to look at what has been presented, and what are the agitations by the people.
“We have over 260 members across the various political parties. The Great Majority Group has been weakened because after the pronouncements, many of the members of the Greater Majorities have seen reasons to align with the ruling party’s position and I can assure you in these coming days, you begin to see the trickle effects of negotiations that we are doing.
“Also, aspirants who are agitating that they are shortchanged are beginning to feel the impact that we are reaching out to more people and we’re bringing more people to our fold. We have only about five that are remaining. We are reaching more people, and it is not by force. As regards your question about the North Central, I think my party has a plan to accommodate the region.”
The lawmaker, when asked why the South East should be given the slot despite the party’s poor showing, said the decision was arrived at for effective planning towards the 2027 election year.
“It cannot be called injustice. That analysis is a weak argument because we are talking about what is beyond the election. We are talking about nation-building. When you talk about nation-building, you should forget about sentiments and emotions. You look at the strongest argument and the strongest argument you have is how do we make diversity-sensitive leadership, and nation-building efforts that will incorporate the beautiful coloration of all the diverse parts of the country coming together to work for what we preach, we say the unity, peace, and progress.
“And for that to be achieved, every part of this nation, you may recall that in the last four years, the Southeast was not holding any presiding officers’ position. And it has impacted this election, among other things, and I can assure you if you neglect the South East again wholesomely in holding such a sensitive position, then you will battle again in 2027, and this is a big risk for any great planner to take,” he said.
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