Ministerial list: Tinubu will heed southeast agitation for more slots — Deputy Speaker

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would consider the southeast zone agitation for more ministerial slots.

Honourable Kalu made the disclosure on Thursday at the All Progressives Congress national secretariat shortly after a meeting with the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Certain lawmakers from the region in a motion before the Red Chamber before it proceeded on annual vacation had kicked against the composition of the unfolding Federal Executive Council ( FEC) as they noted that the Ministerial list was skewed against the southeast zone.

Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that while the North West and South West got 10 and 9 slots, respectively, the five states in the Southeast got one slot each.

Kalu who attributed his emergence as Deputy Speaker to the support he received from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu despite the poor performance of the APC in the region, expressed the hope that he would be magnanimous to heed the demand of the region.

He said:” We are as well raising the lobbying for more for South East. You know, we are like the Oliver Twist. While thanking Mr President for remembering us despite all odds and despite our contributions to the last election, he remembered us, including ensuring that I emerged as the Deputy Speaker of the House, for which the region is very grateful to Mr president.

But we are also asking him because he is a man that we know is magnanimous to look into increasing the member of ministerial positions for the region.

So that is the summary of my engagement with the national chairman today and this is my home, I am going to come as often as possible so that we deliberate on how to move the nation forward in that tripartite model that was made by the past administration, the party, the legislature and the executive. ”

The Deputy Speaker further revealed that consultations were ongoing to ensure that Abia State produced a replacement for the office of National Welfare occupied by the late Friday Nwosu.

He assured the party faithful that a member with the requisite political capital would be brought forward to fill the existing vacancy in the APC National Working Committee.

” The work on that is on and we are looking for the best hands. Those who have political capital, political value to bring on board. That position is going to be filled with a competent individual that has the political clout that will help us achieve our desire in Abia state and in South East because our results last time were not so wonderful.

Some of us who are leaders now want to make it wonderful and the only way to get it done is to make sure square pegs are plugged into square holes, and round pegs are plugged into round holes.”

He said his visit to the former Kano State Governor was to convey the message of solidarity from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas who is outside the country.

“I am also here as in the form of a courtesy call to assure him that the tripartite arrangement that existed before now between the executive, the parliament and the political party, will be strengthened and I have the mandate of the Speaker who is currently outside the country and who will be coming to see him, on his arrival to assure him that the parliament will partner with him, towards advancing the national objectives as set out by the political party in her manifesto, especially when the President presented himself to lead the nation.

“In addition, we came also to discuss all other pertinent issues that will affect the growth of the party, the nation and as well as my region and we had a good time discussing those issues.”

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