Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, has faulted the assertion by Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu that it is his turn to be Senate President.
Kalu made the viral claim while addressing reporters in Abuja on Tuesday.
The former Abia governor highlighted his credentials which made him deserving of the top legislative seat and promised to continue to engage Nigerians as has been his practice since he first became governor over two decades ago.
“I’m not going to switch off my phones, because I’m Senate President but I’m hoping that Nigerian people will pray for me to be Senate President because it’s my turn,” Kalu said.
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Reacting, Isiguzoro said the Senate Chief Whip’s claim is anti-Igbo.
“There is nothing like emilokan in the Southeast; Orji Uzor Kalu is not our Emilokan, that is a Yoruba coinage; we are Republicans here,” Daily Post quoted the Ohanaeze scribe as saying.
He said that the leadership has decided that the Senate Presidency should go to Ebonyi being the only state with three APC senators in the Southeast.
“So Emilokan is in Ebonyi, not Abia State,” he stated.
Isiguzoro added, “Igbos can’t present somebody with an EFCC case. Igbos can’t present somebody as Senate President that would be disgraced tomorrow.
“Igbos can’t present somebody facing trial with EFCC. Igbos can’t present somebody who can’t solve the insecurity crisis in the Southeast. Igbos can’t bring somebody who doesn’t believe in Southeast Presidency.
“He is on his own, Ohanaeze disown Orji Kalu over his Emilokan, and we have a position on Umahi and if Akapabio became a Minority Leader as a first-timer, we are working on that arrangement for Umahi to emerge as the Senate President.
“Orji Kalu would beat Asiwaju as the Senate President; there is nothing like Emilokan in the Southeast, Orji Kalu has a lot of EFCC baggage, and he should clear himself first before talking about the Senate Presidency. He should submit himself for trials.
“Ndigbos can’t afford to gamble with his candidacy because he is controversial. The 10th assembly must amend their rules base on what they did to Akapbio as a first-timer. Orji Kalu would beat Asiwaju as a Senate President, so we are nominating Umahi.”
It is not Igbo that produce senate
president my dear country people. It is the senators themselve that produce their leaders. Ibo una don start abi