Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has urged the South-East to abandon political isolation and build strategic alliances with other regions, insisting that aligning with President Bola Tinubu offers the Igbo a better opportunity to secure their political future.
Kalu said political alliances, rather than sentiments and regional isolation, were necessary for the South-East to gain greater relevance, influence and dividends of democracy.
This was contained in a statement signed by Levinus Nwabughiogu, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, on Friday, November 6, following Kalu’s remarks at the inauguration of the Abia State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council in Umuahia on Thursday.
The Deputy Speaker, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, said the region’s political progress had been hindered by sentiments, unlike its business community, which had relied on strategic partnerships to rebuild the South-East after the civil war.
He said the Igbo must embrace regional political alliances and extend their political relationships beyond the Niger to remain relevant in national affairs.
According to him, working in isolation does not guarantee political advancement, adding that the South-East cannot achieve its political aspirations without building relationships with other regions.
Kalu described votes as political investments that should yield tangible returns, identifying Tinubu as the platform through which the Igbo could secure greater political opportunities.
He said his support for the President was based on his political philosophy of building enduring legacies and promoting non-tribal governance, rather than merely occupying the presidency.
The Deputy Speaker argued that Tinubu related with Nigerians without regard to their ethnic background, language or skin colour, insisting that such leadership offered the South-East an opportunity to advance its interests.
Kalu urged the Igbo to mobilise their votes strategically, warning that wrong political calculations could further delay the region’s aspirations.
He also rejected proposals for a four-year power-sharing arrangement for an Igbo presidency, arguing that the region deserved eight years after waiting for nearly six decades.
He described any four-year agreement as inadequate, assuring the people that the South-East would eventually have its opportunity to produce the nation’s president.
“Our time is coming. The Igbo nation’s time is coming and when it comes, it will be eight and not four years,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker further defended the Tinubu administration, saying the President had spent his first three and a half years laying the foundation for national development, with the results expected to become more visible in the coming period.
He also highlighted what he described as key achievements of the administration across various sectors in the South-East.
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Inaugurating the Abia APC Campaign Council, Kalu charged its more than 500 members to intensify mobilisation for the Renewed Hope Agenda across the state.
He urged the council to remain united and disciplined, understand the projects being executed in Abia and their implementation status, and establish its presence across all 17 local government areas and 184 wards.
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