By Gom Mirian, Abuja
A coalitions of the Northern Patriotic Front, Southwest Professionals, and several Arewa Youth Groups have called on a member of the House of Representatives from Abia State, Hon. Benjamin Kalu to bury his ambition of becoming the next Speaker of Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives in the 10th Assembly
Speaking on behalf of the coalition on Thursday in Abuja, Barr. Abdumalik Alfa, the national president of the Coalition of Arewa Youth Groups for Progress and Development, said Mr. Kalu should allow experienced lawmakers to run the affairs of the house.
According to him, the position of a Speaker of the House of Representatives is not for experiment and must not and should not be slaughtered on the altar of ethnic sentiment to pave the way for a mediocre who has barely served out his first term in the House.
He said the leadership of APC should scrutinize those jostling for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to know those who betrayed the party at the last presidential election but all the same want to reap from where they did not sow.
Further according to Alfa, “We have watched with keen interest the number of actors contesting the position of the Speaker, especially in the South-East where many believe it is likely going to be zoned to, the likes of Benjamin Kalu.
“The current spokesman of the House who bandies his aspiration with an objectionable sense of entitlement and a host of others in the region who has also indicated interest and we are by this compelled to call on the ruling party to look beyond ethnic or religion coloration to go for the best in the best interest of the country.
“Kalu who hails from Abia State, represents Bende Federal Constituency where Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, his benefactor, hails from has not made the evaluation of his person and how much of a team player he is in Abia State APC compelling; so also that of a builder is he in the local chapter of the party.
“We have also watched with consternation, the brazen manner with which saboteurs, who traded the interest of the APC and its presidential candidate with some treacherous groups who are against the sanctity of the Nigerian State trying to take over leadership of the incoming Assembly.
“Who will possibly emerge as speaker from the South East region is as much an issue of interest to the country and the APC as it is to the Southeast.
“In pursuance of a balancing act and preservation of Nigeria’s sanctity, we believe the leadership of the National Assembly should be zoned to the South-East, however, in doing so, equity, justice, and fairness should be applied. It will amount to a violation of divine injunction if people are allowed to reap from where they did not sow”.
