I will fight on the floor of the house like no other person has fought for deputy senate presidency – Uzor Kalu

Newly elected Abia north senator, Uzor Kalu, has said he would be contesting as deputy senate president in 9th national assembly, come what may.

This he says, as he also wants his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the position to his region, south-east for the sake of equity and justice.

The former Abia state governor made this known, while addressing journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday.

Kalu boasted of his loyalty as a party man and would respect that the APC has zoned senate presidency to the Northeast but what ‘they’ won’t allow is APC zoning the second position anywhere else but the Southeast.

What he said

“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 south-east.”

“So, as far as I am concerned, in the south-east, I am going to run openly on the floor of the house for the position of deputy senate president.

“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.

“I have suffered for the party and have been called by Nigerians to come out. I want the party to respect the will of every other person and I am committed to democracy and contesting on the floor of the house.”

He said it was only fair that the position was retained in the south-east, noting that both President Muhammadu Buhari and Adams Oshiomhole, APC national chairman, were well aware of this.

“So, if justice must prevail, you have to bring the senate president from the north-east and you bring the deputy-senate president to the south-east,” he said.

“The chairman of the party is from south-south. The president is from north-west. The vice-president is from south-west and also the senate president will come from north-east.

“So, for me, the tripod in Nigeria is Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa and we are going to get the deputy senate president and I will fight on the floor of the house like no other person has fought.

“That is not challenging the party but this is about looking for justice. Buhari said recently after the elections that he will be addressing issues of injustice and this is part of the issue.”

He said he was qualified for the position, being member of the house of representatives from 1991 to 1993 and also a two-time governor.

“I know the nook and crannies of how legislators operate. I have dealt with them and I am not a newcomer. So, it is going to be impossible to edge me out or edge a whole zone out by claiming we are newcomers,” he said.

“What I am fighting for is justice, fair play and for Nigeria to continue to be one. I have suffered in fighting for the unity of the country. They cannot use national assembly or petty house officers to divide the country.

“All my investments are in the north, in the west and the south and we must protect these things and live in peace.”

He added that he would be forced to contest for the position of the senate president if the APC failed to do the needful.

“I have the capacity for lobbying. I am well-known in east, west, and north. If the party continues this way, I will run for the senate president if justice is not done to say south-east,” he said.

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