From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), the apex socio-political youth groups in the South East has backed Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu’s aspiration to lead the senate.
The Igbo youths in a statement by its President General, Goodluck Ibem, yesterday, declared their support for the former Abia governor and chief whip of the Senate after their open votes which they noted earned him a landslide victory.
Ibem said: “As representative of our our people in South East, we have the mandate of our people to do their wish and bidding. We present Kalu as the consensus candidate by the people of South East for the position of the Senate president.
“This adoption of Kalu for the position of the Senate president by our people is a confirmation that we reject in its entirety the position of the deputy speaker purportedly zoned to South East before now.
“Kalu is a successful man who did very well as a businessman before joining politics and he is a team player who respect agreements reached with others at any given time. He never reneges on agreements. He is true to his words.
“There is no day it is said or heard anywhere that Kalu had issues with anyone based on an agreement he had without fulfilling what was agreed upon. This shows that, if elected by distinguish senators of the 10th Senate, it will be a rancour-free Senate that will give full cooperation to the president for the overall interest and benefit of Nigerians.
“As the Senate chief whip of the 9th Senate, he did his job dutifully by maintaining discipline and order in the Senate which is his assignment. The Senate chambers was really what it should be under him as chief whip. He is truly a team player.
“Kalu is prepared and equipped to lead the Senate and he will deliver on the goods.
“He is a ranking senator, an experience lawmaker with great passion for sponsoring bills that will better the lives of Nigerians, a parliamentarian of great repute who never missed any of the Senate sitting because of his love for the progress and development of the nation. In 2019, Kalu contested the Senate president and he was asked to wait till 2023 which he agreed as a party man. He worked assiduously for his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East.
“The APC presently has two governors, seven senators and State House of Assembly members-elect. Now is the time to honour the agreement made to Kalu in 2019 by the APC to make him Senate president in 2023.
“We implore the words of the APC should be its bound because that is the only true part to go. One of the attributes of democracy is keeping to promise made and we want the APC to keep to its promise.
“We urge all senators to vote for Kalu as Senate president and Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari as his deputy for the development and progress of our nation.
“Under Kalu as president and Yari as his deputy, the Senate will make laws that will truly improve the lots of Nigerians.”
