Group Warns Against Denying Kalu, South-East Dep Speaker

The Niger Delta Rights Advocate (NDRA) has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against denying the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu and people of South-East geopolitical zone the position of deputy speaker of the 10th National Assembly.

NDRA, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend in Port Harcourt yesterday, said denying Kalu and the South-East the position would amount to “rubbing insult on party loyalty.”

The statement, which was signed by the group’s national coordinator, Hon. Bright Ndolo, said over 100 bullets were pumped into the campaign office of the House of Representatives’ spokesman while he was campaigning for the APC.

It read: “The Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA), a political pressure group and foremost advocacy group on Rights of our indigenous people is constrained to once again intervene on the healthy debate over the formation of the leadership of the yet to be inaugurated 10th National Assembly.

“It is trite in law that equity aids the vigilant and as stakeholders in the Nigerian project and as a group populated by 100% youths who make up at least 64% of the voting demographics, staying aloof while the future of the nation is being molded by these debates over proper leadership, would be a disservice to members of the NDRA across the region and the youths of this nation;

“That we believe that the choice of leadership of the National Assembly should not be left to the ruling elite but that citizens and indeed the electorate must have to debate the strengths and weaknesses of the dramatis personae vis-a-vis the performance of the current and past leaderships of the NASS;

“We do believe and rightly so that it remains a moral burden for the nation to consider the inclusion of the South-East zone to the leadership matrix of the nation and the formation of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly presents an auspicious opportunity to us all.”