Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
A South-East group, Network for Good Governance, has called on the member representing Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, to contest for the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives in the 10th Assembly.
This was as the group urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to zone the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives to South-East in the interest of oneness, equity, and justice.
Coordinator of the group, Alfred Okoro, stated this in a statement made available to journalists.
He explained that the 2023 general election generated lots of concern and urged the APC and Tinubu to consider zoning the position to South-East to douse the tension generated by the general election.
He described Ogah as a detrablised Nigerian and a grassroots politician who has made enormous contribution to the growth of the party in Ebonyi State and South-East in general.
“It is on record that APC was not popular the way it is in Ebonyi State today. It was Hon. Chinedu Ogah that made the party popular before every other politician in the state. He was the only person that won National Assembly election in APC in 2019 and his Ikwo Local Government was the only local government in Ebonyi that President Muhammadu Buhari won in the state out of 13 local government areas of the state.
“It was Ogah that made the party to win that local government through his vigorous campaign for the APC. He formed a group known as Buhari/Osinbajo Initiative for demonstrating change which campaigned for the APC during that 2019 election.
“The group started promoting the policies and programmes of the present administration in the country and ensured that the party was acceptable in Ebonyi State.
“This was why there were massive defection to the APC in Ebonyi three years ago and today. APC which was an opposition party is now a ruling party in Ebonyi and the entire south-East.
“During this year’s general election, Hon. Ogah was the first person that started campaigning openly in the state for Tinubu and APC in Ebonyi. His local government gave Tinubu highest votes in the state and South-East in general.
“We have been watching him since he went to the National Assembly in 2019 to represent the people of Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency. He relates with every member of the National Assembly and we are of the opinion that he should be the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“We therefore urge him to declare for the position. APC and his colleagues should support him because he has contributed much for the party.
“The party should ensure that all the six geopolitical zones of the country and the two religions, Islam and Christianity are properly considered in the 10th National Assembly leadership.
“The 2023 general election generated lots of tension because of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC and the party won the election. So, it is proper that the party balances the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to carry all the zones and religions along in the scheme of things,” Okoro stated.
