Why I want to be deputy senate president, by Kalu

Senator – Elect, Abia North, Dr Uzor Orji Kalu said Wednesday that he was interested in the office of the Deputy Senate President to bring about equity in the distribution of offices in the National.

Kalu said though as a loyal party man, he aligns with the position of the All Progressives Party (APC) in zoning the office of Senate president to the North East; it would not be a bad idea to allow the South East produce the Deputy Senate President.

Speaking in an interview at a private hangar at Lagos International Airport, on his way to Belgium, Kalu said he will may be forced to vie for the office of the Senate President if the APC leadership does not accede to his request.

He said ceding the position of the Deputy Senate President to other zones beside the South East will amount to injustice to the region.

Kalu, however, said that he was a loyal party member who would adhere to the zoning arrangements of the party, but noted that for justice to prevail, the South East must be given the Deputy Senate President position.

It would be recalled that APC had earlier in the week zoned the Senate President position to North East, Deputy Senate Position to North West and Chief Whip to the South East, the zoning Kalu insisted was unfair to the South east.

He said: “Well, I am a very loyal party member, the party has zoned it to the North East and I am bound to respect the party’s will and the second position is what we are not going to allow for the party.

“As far as I am concerned, in the South East, I am going to run openly on the floor of the House for the Senate President. I am not going to listen to the party; neither will I listen to anybody. Nobody who is going to be the Deputy Senate President is more loyal than I am to the party. I have suffered for the party, and I want the party to respect the will of every other person and I am committed to democracy.

“We are going to be seeing votes on the floor of the house because relevant sections of the constitution made it very clear that the members of the National Assembly will elect their leaderships and I am going to use that section of the constitution to vie for the position.

“I learnt they ceded the Deputy Senate President to the North West, but it is not right to do anything like that. We are going to contest this vehemently on the floor of the House. I have the backing of my colleagues. I am going to be withdrawing from the Senate Presidency to run for Deputy Senate President because the party is supreme.”

He however described Adams Oshiomhole, the Chairman of APC as a good friend, stressing that the party would not cede the Deputy Senate Presidency to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as it happened in the eighth National Assembly under Sen. Bukola Saraki.

He also explained that President Muhammadu Buhari as a canvasser of justice would not support any illegality against the South east.

“I know our Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is a listening Chairman and President Muhammadu Buhari is a man of justice. So, if justice must prevail, you bring the Senate President from the North East and deputy to the South East.

“The chairman is from the South -South, the President is from the North West, the Vice President is from South West, the President of Senate will come from the North East, whether it’s Lawal or Ndume, these people will decide that on the floor of the House. So, for me, Nigeria is tripod; Ibo, Yoruba and Hausa,” he said.

On the plan by Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, another honourable-elect from the South East to vie for the Speakership of the House of Representatives, Kalu said it was her constitutional right to do so.

“It is her constitutional right to vie for that position. Nobody should stop her. It’s her constitutional right,” he said.