By Kayode Ibrahim
Orji Uzor Kalu, Chief Whip of the 9th Senate is a household name in the business and political world in Nigeria and beyond.
As a Pan Nigerian with a detrabilized mindset, Kalu has built and sustained robust relationships and friendship across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. Despite his christian faith, he enjoys gargantuan goodwill among people of various religious faiths. All these attributes, no doubt, always stand him out among his contemporaries.
Just recently, Kalu having brought uncommon dividends of democracy to his constituents, was re- elected as a Senator ( Abia North Senatorial district) under the platform of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), making him the most ranking Senator of South East extraction (Ndigbo).
Ahead of the meeting of newly elected and returning Senators and Members of House of Representatives with President – elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and leadership of the hierarchy scheduled to hold in Abuja on Monday, 13th March, it will not be out of place for the APC to zone the position of Senate President to the South East geopolitical zone, Ndigbo, as one of the three major tribes in Nigeria.
I have read many articles in the mainstream and online media sharing my position. However, some of these articles forget to recognise the fact that Nigeria has three dominant tribes, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. Without mincing words, an Igbo man deserves the position of Senate President as the President- elect is Yoruba and Vice President -elect is Hausa. Hence, naturally, the position of Senate President should be given to Igbo.
Although, I know Asiwaju Tinubu to be a fair, courageous and just leader, I hope political jobbers and desperate politicians, will not slaughter the fair compensation due to Ndigbo. For the sake of equity and stability, this is the time for the President- elect and the APC to correct the imbalance in the political space of Nigeria.
I pray that God will continue to give Tinubu the strong will, as a firm believer in democratic tenets, to give Ndigbo its rightful place in national polity.
Kayode Ibrahim writes from Ilorin, Kwara State
