“Neglecting South-East In 10th NASS Leadership Is Risky” – Benjamin Kalu Warns APC

A member of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has revealed why the All Progressives Congress (APC) must include the South-East in the leadership positions of the 10th national assembly.

Benjamin Kalu, who is APC’s choice for the postion of the Deputy Speaker in the 10th NASS leadership, spoke during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday night.

According to him, the APC must prioritize the inclusion of the South-East in its plans to avoid another disappointing outcome in terms of votes from the region in 2027.

The lawmaker representing Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State pointed out that the absence of any presiding officers from the South-East in the past four years had a negative impact, including during the recent election.

He warned that neglecting the South-East again, particularly in such a critical position, would pose a significant risk for the APC and result in electoral challenges in 2027.

“When you talk about nation building you forget about sentiments, you forget about emotions and look at the strongest argument and the strongest argument here is how do we make a diversity sensitive leadership, nation-building effort that will incorporate all the beautiful efforts of all the diverse part of the country coming together to work for what we peach? It’s by unity, peace and progress.

“You may recall that in the last four years, the South-East was not holding any of the presiding officers’ position and it has impacted on this election, among other things. I can assure you, if you neglect South-East again, a whole zone in such sensitive position, then you battle again in 2027, that is a big risk for any great planner to take.

“If you start now to plan and adopt this spirit of inclusion, South-East is going to yield a better harvest than what was yielded before,” Kalu stated.

Meanwhile, Senator Godswill Akpabio said that if elected as senate president, he would adopt a “national approach” to legislation in the red chamber.