Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has entered the assaults against Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, over his claim that the All Progressives Congress, or APC, will seize control of Abia State in 2027.
Recall that Kalu had stated on a media program that his state would not continue to be in opposition since he was the sixth citizen of the nation.
Governor Alex Otti’s address has drawn harsh criticism, particularly from supporters of the Labour Party.
However, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the national president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, claimed that Kalu’s attack was unnecessary in a statement that was made accessible to journalists on Thursday.
He believed that Kalu’s political comment did not in any way reflect poorly on the governor’s office.
He said, “We are forced to respond to the regrettable remarks that have followed the speech made by the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kanu, in which he courted the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, to join his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“We have taken our time to digest the remarks made by Hon. Kalu and did not find any disparaging remarks against the person and office of the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
“All he did was woo the governor into the APC, a party Otti formerly belonged to before his defection to the Labour Party.
“We find nothing wrong in Kalu courting his former APC member and asking him to rejoin the party to enable Abia to be part of the ruling party in the centre. What he said is not in any way different from what any other high ranking members of the ruling party will say.
“He said quite clearly in his remarks that Governor Otti is his friend and that they speak almost on a daily basis. So why the much ado about nothing? Why the fuss over a harmless piece of advice from Kalu to his friend, Otti?
“Is Gov Otti the first and the only governor he has invited to APC?
“Throughout the second term of Gov Ikpeazu of Abia State who was under the PDP, Hon Ben on his weekly Benkalu Mandate radio program openly invited the then governor to join APC.
“In return, the then Gov Ikpeazu invited him back to the PDP he started with, without any one resorting to this state-sponsored media war over a simple invitation.
“It is left for Otti to either heed his advice and join APC or to remain in Labour Party, and seek a renewal of his mandate in 2027.”
Okwu reiterated his demand that the Ndigbo acknowledge authority and give up the long-held notion that they have no monarch.
“A man working for the peace in the south East should be honoured not maligned; a man who fought for us to get the South East Development Commission to fulfil the 3 Rs promise of over 54 years should be valued.
“He wants the best for the south East and if in his political philosophy he believes that it is best for all the big stakeholders in the region to come together under a platform for our good, it is within his rights to advocate and lobby for it.
“As it stands today, Rt Hon. Benjamin Kanu is the highest ranking Igbo personality in the federal government of Nigeria and has earned all our respects and we will do any thing to preserve him with all amount of dignity and honour. Any attack on him is an open attack to the youths of Igbo land and we will respond accordingly. Enough is enough, we are pleased with his work.
“Accordingly, we urge Ndigbo to accord him the respect he truly deserves. We shall not fold our hands and watch anyone insult him for no just cause,” Okwu warned.
