Kalu urges Southeast leaders to emulate President Tinubu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, on Wednesday challenged leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast geopolitical zone to emulate President Bola Tinubu’s leadership style.

This, he said, would enable the zone to produce more national leaders.

Kalu made the call when APC leaders from Abia, led by Sen. Chris Adighije, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

He noted that in spite of several challenges Tinubu might have faced with his mentees, they still stayed together.

He urged members of the ruling party and, indeed, Igbo leaders in the zone to unite as one and pursue their common destiny against all odds.

“These are men and women of capacity that the state and nation need. I am most delighted to have you here.

“Our nemesis has always come when we believe we could be lone rangers. It does not work. You will agree with me that it has never worked.

“The difference between our leadership style and that of people from other jurisdictions is that we find it difficult to stick together for a long time.

“If you are in doubt, check President Tinubu’s team yesterday and today and tell me how many have left the camp,’’ he said.

Kalu noted that in spite of the abysmal performance of the APC in the Southeast at the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu was magnanimous in victory and supported him to emerge as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

He appreciated Tinubu and the former Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, for the roles they played in his emergence as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

Earlier, Adighije urged Kalu to assume the leadership of the APC in Abia and in the Southeast geopolitical zone.

He said the visit was to pledge the total support of Abia leaders in the APC for Kalu.

He added that APC elders and party leaders in Abia had unanimously adopted the deputy speaker as the leader of the party in the state.

He urged the deputy speaker to waste no time in building bridges to bring back those who had left the party and to reconcile the aggrieved ones.

“We cannot talk about marginalisation anymore with you as deputy speaker because you are a goal-getter.

“Very soon, ministers from the Southeast will emerge. Please bring everybody together so we can develop a very strong party in Abia, and at the next election, we will be the number one party.

“As soon as the ministers come on board, we are looking forward to a summit meeting of all of you so that we can plan the way forward for APC in the Southeast, along with the governors.

“This is our prayer, but don’t forget that charity begins at home. In all these issues, Abia must come first. Abia must take its rightful position,’’ Adighije said.