The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abia State chapter, has slammed the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu over his statement that as the number six citizen in Nigeria’s political hierarchy, he will not allow another party to win his state in 2027.

The party stated that Kalu’s number six position is a reflection of the disregard of the APC for the Igbo in Nigeria and advised Kalu to concentrate on doing his job as the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, and desist from making statements that put the Igbo nation to ridicule.

Kalu, who represents Bende federal constituency, had stirred trouble when he stated that APC will produce the next governor of the state, stressing that as number six citizen he won’t allow another party to govern the state in 2027.

However, the PDP in a statement by its Acting state publicity secretary, Elder Amah Abraham, warned Kalu that being the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives does not mean that he has become the mouthpiece of the people of Abia State or the Igbo nation.

The PDP further warned Kalu not to use the passage of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), as a gambit to draw the Igbo nation to the APC.

The party said; “Abia PDP is gravely concerned that Mr. Ben Kalu has wrongly appropriated the rights to speak for the good people of Abia State. He is also turning history upside down by projecting a narrative that is clearly false, and must be debunked to set the records straight.

“It is imperative to remind Mr. Kalu that his position as number 6 in the national order of precedence is not something to boast about because it clearly shows the ignominy with which the APC has treated the Igbo nation. He should be reminded that there are six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, and the fact that the South East placed 6th and last position is a clear indication that the APC government at the centre does not regard the Igbo nation highly.

“Being a Speaker of the House of Representatives who represents Bende federal constituency does not mean that he has suddenly become the mouthpiece of the people of Abia State or the Igbo nation.

“It is also important to remind Mr. Kalu that during the reign of the PDP at the centre, the South East was better compensated with the position of the Senate President, the third position in the Order of National Precedence, and none of the five Senate Presidents from the South East ever tried to railroad or corralled the entire Igbo nation to the PDP. Beyond that, the South East occupied other important positions in the PDP government like the Minister of Finance, Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Ambassador to United States and Canada, and other important positions which the APC government has denied the Igbo South East in its nine-year reign.

“The Igbo people are republican in nature, and nobody tells them what to do, especially when it involves following the bandwagon of a party that has subjected Nigerians, especially the Igbo nation to untold poverty and hardship.

“The Abia PDP advises Mr. Ben Kalu to concentrate on doing his job as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and should desist from making statements that put the Igbo nation to ridicule.

“It is also laughable that Mr. Kalu will use the passage of the South East Development Commission, SEDC as a gambit to draw the Igbo nation to the APC. He should be reminded that the work that culminated in the SEDC was started by a PDP Senator, Stella Oduah during her stint in the Senate. The SEDC clearly did not do the Igbo nation a favour because SEDC was already long overdue and other zones that have development commissions established for them by the federal government have not all flocked to the ruling party at the centre.

“Abia PDP calls on the good people of Abia State to pardon the ignorance of Mr. Kalu, and ensure that they do the right thing in 2027 by returning the PDP to power,” it said. (Vanguard)

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