A political pressure group, The Igbo Union (IU), NzukoNdi-Igbo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to back the Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu for Senate President in the 10th Senate.
The group’s president, Prince Odoemena, in a statement, said Kalu deserved to lead the 10th Senate because of his experience and the role he played in the electoral victory of the APC.
“The choice of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu is based on experience being the oldest member of Nigerian National Assembly. Dr Kalu served in the 4th National Assembly as member of House of Representative between 1992 and 1993, during the aborted Third Republic under Agunwa Anakwe as the Speaker then.
“Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu also marketed the unpopular Muslim Muslim ticket for All Progressive Congress (APC) when many Nigerians where against it and many APC members were confused and refused to speak.”
The group condemned those it said “are looking for Senate President and indirectly eyeing the position of Senate Leader.”
It also urged Tinubu to disregard those who advised him that he could do without the Igbo.
He noted that Dr. Kalu as governor of Abia State played significant role in the re-election of Tinubu for a second term as governor of Lagos State when then President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to thwart the second term of Tinubu as governor.
He advised Tinubu to learn from the upstage the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, caused during the election as see that the Igbo cannot be ignored in Nigeria’s politics.
“The upstage Peter Obi and the Obedient family caused during the election is unexplainable, and many people were swept off.
Odoemena also called on the governor of Lagos state, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to to stop acts of violence directed against the Igbo because of the 2023 general elections.