Take Charge Of Party Affairs In South-East, Abia APC Leaders Tell Kalu

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, have asked the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, to take over the leadership of the party in the state and the South-East region.

The leaders, who made the plea when they paid a courtesy call on the deputy speaker in Abuja, said that as the highest political office-holder from the South-East, Kalu remains their rallying point to the presidency.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, said the APC leaders reasoned that it naturally follows that Kalu assumes the leadership of the party to unite its members.

Led by a former lawmaker, Senator Chief Chris Adighije, who represented Abia Central in the Senate, the APC leaders added that with Kalu’s position, the South-East could no longer cry of marginalisation.

Among the APC leaders were Senator Nkechi Nwogu, who also represented Abia Central in the Senate; former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Nwogu; former Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Henry Ikoh; pioneer leader of APC in Abia State, Chief Sam Nkire; former Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka; former Speaker of the State Assembly, Chief Martins Azubuike; former member of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Sam Onuigbo; former member of the State Assembly, Dr. Blessing Nwagba; a National Commissioner in PenCom from South-East, Chief Anyim Nyerere, amongst others.

Speaking on their behalf, Senator Adighije also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving the South-East zone a sense of belonging in the nation’s political hierarchy.

He said: “I have come in total support of Abia leaders of thoughts in APC across the entire state. We have come with a heart full of joy to congratulate our special son. For me to get out of my place at my age to come and see my son, my special son with age difference of about 40 years, it means right from home, we are proud of you. I want to recall your first day in House of Reps in June 2019, you didn’t quite settle down and you moved a motion. You didn’t spend 5 minutes and you moved a moved a motion and two weeks later you became a chairman of a committee.

“We are here to pledge our support because you are now hold a position of responsibility and trust. Charity begins at home. So, whatever that has happened in Abia, we are here to ask you to quickly do the needful. So that, Abia, all of us will come together.

“We are all here to plead with you and we know you are a man of action to build bridges across the lines in Abia and indeed, south east. So that Abia State and indeed the rest of South-East will take what is rightfully their own.

“We cannot talk about marginalization anymore with you as deputy speaker because you are a goal-getter. Very soon, ministers from the south east will emerge. Please, put everybody together so that we develop a very strong party in Abia so that in the next election, we will be the number one. That is a task I believe you can do.

“There will be no fractionalization. Everybody must come together. Please, consult widely with the ministers, with people who have positions and with all of us even right at home, build a stronger party in the entire south east.

“We believe as soon as the ministers come on board, we are looking forward to call a summit meeting of all of you so that we can plan the way forward for APC in the south east, along with the governors. This is our prayer. But of course, don’t forget that charity begins at one in all this 5 issues, Abia must come first. Abia must take it’s rightful position.

“You see your friends here. Make sure they are properly positioned for APC to become the leading party in the south-east. We don’t want the other parties anymore.”