Politics
By Obike Ukoh
EVERY country has its uniqueness. The uniqueness determines, political and economic directions, among others. The monthly practice in Nigeria, where all the states gather for the sharing of revenue, is not a universal practice.
It is in place because of the “uniqueness and peculiarity’’ of doing things the Nigerian way.
In the same vein, words like Federal Character and Zoning gained popularity in the country because of the purpose they serve.
In the political space, everybody knows why Zoning is imperative. Zoning is designed to ensure equity, justice and fairness.
But ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the known tradition of doing things appears to be under threat.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), kick-started the controversy, with a zoning arrangement, perceived to marginalize the South-East.
The party even announced the names of the preferred candidates, allocating the position of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives to the South-East.
Before this strange decision, the South-East has one of the leading candidates in the person of Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, current Chief Whip of the Senate for the office of Senate President.
For fairness and equity, the thinking is that, that position will be zoned to the South-East.
The quick intervention of the South-West Governors’ Forum is commendable as the Forum rejected the zoning of the leadership positions in the National Assembly by the APC National Working Committee.
Forum’s Chairman and the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, described the arrangements as skewed and would reinforce injustice and enhance inequity.
`The contents, intentions and motives of the zoning formula represent early signs of steps aimed at attempts to cabin the hard-earned Presidency for our Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a few individuals with eyes on Aso Rock Power Buttons.
“Therefore, the move to zone the National Assembly leadership positions on the behest of interested personalities with perceived closeness to the President-elect manifesting, lays the dangerous foundation of distrust, needless suspicion even as it structures nothing, but a combination of booby traps. We must avoid all these.”
The aspirants to the various positions in the National Assembly also spoke their minds when they met with the National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu.
The leadership endorsed former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio (from Akwa Ibom State in South-South) for Senate President, and Tajudeen Abbas (from Kaduna State in North-West) for Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Adamu admitted that the lawmakers were not adequately consulted, adding that, “We will go back to the drawing board. We owe our party and ourselves that duty. We will take a look at it. Hold the fire until the last word is heard from us. We are the custodians of the party, but we are not acting alone.
“The voice of the President-elect is an essential voice and we must accommodate him the best way we can. I will not compromise on that.’’
Kalu, in his presentation dismissed votes as prerequite for the sharing of the positions, insisting that the Senate President should be ceded to the South-East.
He said: “Vote is not a measurement. We had a hurricane in our zone.
“We need one another, and not the level of votes cast. Those who did not vote for the party today can vote for the party tomorrow if they are properly aligned.
“After all, we have made progress. Before we used to be one or two senators, but it is no longer so.
“This thing did not only happen in the South-East. Many people from areas where the presidential candidate came from voted along certain lines.
“I appeal to you people that you must cede something very reasonable to the South-East.”
Kalu stressed that the zoning formula released by the party was undemocratic, and that it was unconstitutional to announce people’s names. “I am not saying what you people have done does not look very nice, but it is wrong micro zoning to individuals, penciling people’s names. “It is undemocratic and against the constitutional rights of all the aspirants.
“Section 51 of the constitution did not approve that for the National Assembly. So, we are going to challenge it.
“We are going to say no to it. I am a party man, I am a believer of the party, and I have never disobeyed this party.
“This is the first time we are going to say no to the directive of the party. We are going to say that we are not going to do this on the floor of the Senate.
“This is not acceptable to us. I will not want to do it and I will not want to disrespect the party. It will be better that the party returns to the drawing board, deliberate and call a consultative meeting.”
Kalu in previous presentations, on why the Senate should be headed by a South-Easterner maintained that Nigeria stands on a tripod, namely: Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba arguing that the Igbo ethnic group should be accommodated.
In a newspaper advert recently, Kalu urged Nigerians to support the incoming government of President-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
He implored Nigerians to keep hope alive with Tinubu to build a new Nigeria with global influence.
In his words: “As we look forward to the inauguration of our dear President-elect , H.E Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu on May 29th, we implore all Nigerians to keep hope alive and extend all necessary supports the incoming administration will need to have a renewed Nigerian with global influence
“As we also look forward to composition of the 10th Senate leadership, I appeal for the support of all Nigerians to be elected the President of the 10th Senate.
“I possess the vision, consensus building, charisma, experience, credibility, competence, humility and pragmatism to partner the executive and build a new Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a country built on a tripod, (Igbo,Hausa and Yoruba) and it is right that everyone is given a sense of belonging.
“The South-East deserves to be supported by all other regions to produce the President of the 10th Senate for equity, justice and fairness.
“As the President of the Senate, I will drive a harmonious relationship with the executive and judiciary for an effective service delivery to the nation.
“One thing is indubitably certain: working together in unity and mutual love and respect, we can take Nigeria to real next level of peace, progress, and development,” Kalu stressed.
Various commentators that rooted for Kalu for the headship of the Senate, are in agreement that he is a consummate politician and a team player.
Mr Kolajo Abiola, son of late MKO Abiola, who made a case for zoning the position to the South-East for the “ sake of equity, fairness and justice,’’ zeroed his choice to Sen. Orji Kalu.
He said inter alia: “Orji Kalu has the political pedigree, senatorial experience, district development acumen, courageous, bold, and reliable, a nationalist, detribalised, resourceful and pragmatic.
“Similarly, his experience in the private sector will help sustain a workable national development plan for Nigeria.’’
Abiola stressed that “Zoning the Senate President to South- East is the right thing to do.’’
On his part, Prof. Ojo Emmanuel Ademola also asserted that the cap fits Orji Kalu.
Ademola, distinguished and foremost strategic political analyst and a global cyber security technocrat, said that Kalu ought to emerge among other contenders.
Ademola, who stressed the need for political balance, noted that stakeholders from the South-East have been obviously in a state of “flux, anxiety, despondency, annihilation, neglect and the purported claim of unfair treatment over equitable power sharing in the country, and their concerns need to be addressed to enhance democratic growth.
“The incoming administration of Asiwaju BAT, against the need to correct the perceived anomalies in the marginalisation of ethnic entities in the polity, it’s apt to streamline the power-zoning of the critical positions of the ruling party to address injustice, unfairness and inequality.
“And in consideration of this proposition, the South-East zone, like the other afflicted ones, deserves the slot of the Senate President as a compensation balancing trophy.
“Once the Eastern-necessity propositions are imbibed by the cross sections of political players (North and South), the search for the most qualified, experienced, resourceful, devoted and committed team player from the zone becomes easier to accomplish.
“ It’s within this context that the candidature of Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu for the Senate Presidency is x-rayed and positioned,’’ Ademola said.
On the choice of the most qualified for the plump job, Ademola said that
“Sen. Kalu stands taller above others as the most qualified of his peers.’’
He noted that the current Senate Chief Whip and Senator-elect, Kalu is the 4th highest ranking senator from the South-East.
Ademola also noted that Kalu served a two-term tenure as Executive Governor of Abia, from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007 (the same period that the President-elect served at the state level).
He said that, that gives Kalu the added advantage to appreciate the dynamism involved in leading a vibrant and complimentary National Assembly.
He said that it is equally important to take into account his successful first term as the Senate Chief Whip of the 9th National Assembly, which earned him the respect of his peers, most notably the Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan.
Ademola said that unarguably, Orji Kalu is the most qualified in balancing the political equation of appropriateness and the best possible choice in a time like this.
Ademola stressed that Kalu is a “
cerebral personality who can play the balancing act in a delicate political environment like Nigeria at this critical time.’’
According to him, Kalu is “a ready-made tool needed to deepen democratic experimentation as Senate President for the convocation of the 10th National Assembly.
“For certainty, Kalu is amendable, dependable, reliable, and dogmatic to work in the national interest and not to rock the boat of governance for the Asiwaju Tinubu/Shettima Administration,’’ Ademola emphasized.
For equity, justice and fairness, the position should be zoned to the South-East, and the cap fits cap, the man with the experience, competence and commitment.
Tags: All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu House of Representatives Rotimi Akeredolu Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu
