Okey Sampson, Aba
As the horse-trading to fill in the principal positions of the Ninth National Assembly, which would be inaugurated in a matter of weeks hots up, the Abia State caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has openly declared support for Femi Gbajabiamila, for the position of speaker of House of Representatives.
Disclosing this in a telephone chat, the state Co-ordinator of the Femi Gbajabiamila Campaign Organisation for Speakership of the House of Representatives in the Ninth National Assembly and member-elect for Bende Federal Constituency, Chief Benjamin Kalu, said support for Gbajabiamila is in tandem with the decision of the APC national leadership.
“The leadership of APC, including the President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari, have spoken; as it concerns the zoning of positions of the principal offices in the Ninth National Assembly and, as loyal party members, we have to abide with that decision particularly where it concerns the speakership of the House of Representatives.”
Kalu said while Abia APC caucus supports Gbajabiamila for the speakership position, it behoves on the party to reciprocate by ensuring that the South East is not left out in the sharing of other principal offices in the National Assembly.
The Reps member-elect made a case for the South East to be given the position of the deputy senate president which, he said, would not only ensure equity and fairness, but would help to integrate the zone more into APC.
“Inasmuch as we are supporting Gbajabiamila for the position of speakership of the House of Representatives, in line with the party’s decision, we are at this same time urging the party to ensure that the South East is well represented in the sharing of other principal offices in the House.
“While we would not like to sound confrontational, but, it is our thinking in the South East that, for equity and fairness sake, the party should zone the position of deputy senate president to the geo-political zone.”
Kalu said it was for this purpose the South East caucus set up a committee to reach out to individuals and other zones in the country, adding that the committee which he believed was doing good work would achieve its purpose.