South East leaders mainly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts extraction, met in Owerri Imo state capital yesterday, May 29, 2019, demanding that the position of the speaker of the 9th Federal House of Representatives be ceded to the zone.
According to them, “it is equitable for a South Easterner to be elected the speaker of the 9th House of Representatives”.
Addressing the press, the leader and co-ordinator of the Buhari Support Groups in the South East, Prince Chamberlin Adiaso, argued that, “it is an injustice for the South West to produce Vice President of the country, the National Chairman of the party and still wants to lay claim to the speakership position”.
In his opinion, Barr. Emeka Nwajiuba being a detribalized Nigerian, should be considered for the position so that he can become a rallying point for the whole APC in the South East Geopolitical region.
He contended that the South East zone in the last general elections (with the help of prominent leaders like Emeka Nwajiuba, and others) were able to return 25% votes cast to President Muhammadu Buhari, unlike in 2015 election, when the zone performed abysmally low. “Such a feat should be considered as a yardstick for ceding the speakership position to South East”, he declared.
In this contribution, Rt. Hon. Amaechi Nwoha stated that ceding the position of speaker to the South East Region will address perceived injustices and calm all agitations by various aggrieved groups in the region. He adduced that “it is against natural justice to South East to be denied such position again”.
Others who spoke at the meeting include Chief Barr Kingsley Ononauju, who held that Nigeria stands on a tripod and one of the regions comprising the three major ethnic groups of the country should not for any reason be sidelined politically.
In his contribution, Chief George Egu who said that Nwajiuba, is his brother/kinsman and a fine gentleman, who should be commended averred that his brother Nwajiuba is a forward looking man that is highly needed at a time like this to stabilize the nation.
Earlier in the address he presented at the meeting, the Director of Contact and Mobilization, Presidential Support Committees Imo state chapter, Comrade Ozor Chimuanya, disclosed that they were at the meeting to press home their demand for the choice of their noble, humble and trusted son, Emeka Nwajiuba for the office of the “Speaker of the House of Representatives”.
He added that Emeka Nwajiuba has been a reputable practicing lawyer before he joined politics as such is not a green horn in the act of legislation.
He stated that Hon. Nwajiuba is a ranking member of the National Assembly, who is knowledgeable in National Assembly politics, an articulated legislator who hitherto presented several bills in the House and wielded a lot of influence among his colleagues and yet at home with his constituency.
He enumerated his other qualities and capabilities, stating that as a vibrant young legal practitioner cum politician, he had been a strong voice in the present political dispensation hence it is the expectation of the people of South East that he will discharge his duties as speaker, as he had left good inprints.
Comrade Chumuanya went on, “the choice of our son and brother, will do the presidency much good, as President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) will no longer be accused of one-sided government and party, without anybody from the South-East occupying a high position. This will also be in furtherance to Mr. President promise of all inclusiveness in this next level administration.
In the last election, the All Progressive Congress had to put a visible and harrowing struggle in the zone against the stiff opposition which paraded, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and a Vice Presidential candidate, Dr Peter Obi, and this affected our party’s electoral fortune, though we secured more than the desired twenty-five percent votes for Mr. President.
The All Progressive Congress has to show a very effective and strong presence in this zone. If we are to harness our great acceptance for future election victories, then Nwajiuba is it.
The party cannot achieve that feat without considering a character who is willing and amenable to party discipline, like the person of Hon. Barr. Emeka Nwajiuba.
In the 8th National Assembly, the All Progressives Congress witnessed the height of legislative rascality because the characters drafted from the party to preside over the two chambers of the National Assembly were imbued with strong self-wills which inhibited the flourishing of public office, and this plunged the party into full scale crisis that affected our election fortunes. ‘
It is on record that Hon. Barr. Emeka Nwajiuba won the 2003 ANPP Governorship Primaries in a free and fair exercise. In the face of the lingering crisis that was to engulf the party in the state, President Buhari who was the Presidential flag-bearer of the party intervened and advised him to step down, and he did without resort to any self-help.
The All Progressive Congress as a party needs such a stable character as a Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives to encourage Mr. President to perform to optimum capacity in the next level of his administration”, he concluded.
