Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
An advocacy group under the aegis of Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA), has pleaded with the opposition parties in the House of Representatives to support Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for the deputy speaker position in the 10th Assembly.
National Coordinator of NDRA, Bright Ngolo, who had earlier advocated speakership for South East, said the latest development was commendable, because the geo-political zone was not marginalised.
Speaking with journalists, Ngolo recalled, “That on the 29th April 2023, the NDRA made a public appeal to the party leadership, members-elect and stakeholders to consider ceding the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the South-East geopolitical zone and to Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu in particular for his youthfulness, intelligence, friendship across regions, tribes and cultures.
“We considered his track record of visibility in the ninth Assembly as House spokesperson as the core reason our group embarked upon an advocacy through the media to have such a detribalised Nigerian occupy the exalted seat of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“Our lobby and advocacy has led to the zoning of the Deputy Speakership of the 10th National Assembly to the South East region and a further microzoning to Hon Benjamin, member representing Bende Federal constituency.
“Even though it fell below our projection, we want to thank the National Working Committee of the APC for taking the wise decision of not completely neglecting the agitations and calls by Nigerians across party, ethnic and religious lines, that the South East geopolitical zone should not and must not be excluded from the political leadership of the country at this auspicious moment of our national history.
“Gentlemen, we are not surprised at the microzoning of this position to Hon Benjamin Kalu, as we have eloquently enumerated some of the qualities for which we found him fit for leadership of the House of Representatives.”
