The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Monday says, it maintains its earlier stand on Sen. Kalu/Sen. Yari joint ticket for the presidency of the 10th National Assembly.
The Ohanaeze youths maintained that contrary to the position of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, the South-eastern part of the country deserves the position of the President or the Deputy President of the Senate to be inaugurated on Tuesday, 13th June 2023.
The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who had on Monday, while speaking with press made this known after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja expressing his confidence that Senator Godswill Akpabio will emerge as the next president of the 10th Senate.
Uzodinma, who is also the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, said the move was in collaboration with the outgoing Senate President, Ahmed Lawan.
However, , the spokesperson of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, Amb Chika Okpala in a statement on Monday evening said it was wrong for Governor Hope Uzodinma to champion the marginalisation of the entire South-East geopolitical zone.
The apex socio-cultural group of the Igbo Nation reiterated its position backing the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari as its preferred candidates for Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo said: “The statement from Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State does not represent the views of our people. It is either we get the Senate President or the Deputy. Therefore, It is Kalu/Yari or Yari/Kalu as the case may be. Ndigbo cannot be marginalized even we say that Presidency has returned to the South.
“Our earlier position rejecting Mr Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin is sacrosanct. Political expediency, quest for national stability and cohesion dictates that the number three political position and the heading the legislative arm of government should go to the South-East. It is wrong for people like Governor Hope Uzodinma to thwart this political arrangement of Nigeria resting on the tripod of three dominant ethnic groups of Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri, Yoruba and Igbo”.
