Senator Orji Kalu declares intention for Deputy Senate President

Former Abia State Governor, senator Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that his political party, the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), cannot hold him from contesting for the office of Deputy Senate President.

The 8th Senate led by Senate President Bukola Saraki is holding its valedictory session today, June 6, 2019 and new principal and presiding officers would be elected next week in both chambers of the national assembly.

The offices of Senate President and Deputy Senate President are often decided by the governing party and APC has decided its candidates for the positions

It is also clear from the rotational arrangement currently on the table that Kalu, who hails from the Southeast region of Nigeria and who would represent Abia North in the senate, is not one of his party’s preferred candidates.

Senator Orji Kalu tells ChannelsTV during a breakfast program that he is willing to go against the party’s directive for purposes of equal and fair representation.

“Let me be honest with you. Even if the party asks me not to run, I will run on the floor of the House, this is one position I have to run for because you cannot leave the Southeast alone, you can’t leave them behind,” Kalu said. 

He restated that in line with the doctrine of federal character, leaving the Southeast out of the current power equation would be detrimental to his party.

“We are in the process of doing the right thing and the East will be given a place in the scheme of things. I am asking that the East should be given the Deputy Senate President. There is a high level of discussions about that," Kalu added.

"I am a very loyal party man. The party has zoned the senate presidency position to the North-East and I want to respect the party's will but the second position is what we are not going to allow to leave the Southeast”, Kalu had said. I am not going to listen to the party neither will I listen to anybody. Nobody that wants to be the Deputy Senate President is more loyal than I am to the party”, he had added.

The APC continues to remind its members about the supremacy of the party as the race for offices in the 9th national assembly attains fever pitch status.

“Members of the APC are allowed to air whatever their views are, because that is democracy. So, whatever decision we take at the end of the day, would be after you have been given ample opportunity to exercise your right. But at the end of the day, party supremacy sets in”, APC spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu said.