The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has revealed why he needs to be made the Speaker of the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly in the 10th Assembly.
“The speculation out there as to whether or not I have shown interest to contest for the speakership for the 10th assembly is true,” Kalu said.
“Yes, I’m interested in that position. I’m interested in becoming the next speaker of the house of representatives.”
He said he made a lot sacrifices for the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC and now the president elect Senator Bola Tinubu and therefore deserves to be made the Speaker of the House.
He said the South East has not produced any Speaker in four decades.
He warned governors from attempting to impose their candidates on the lawmakers, but encouraged them to allow the parliamentarians to choose their preferred candidates, based on competence.
“We need to have new members buy into our competence to lead. It is not good for leaders at home to impose (someone) that will lead the members of the parliament without the members having any knowledge about who is coming to lead them,” he said.
“I’m bringing on board transformative, and legislative intervention that is based on innovation and it is only people like us who have been equipped that will be able to bridge that gap,” he added.
He said he stood for and defended the party and its presidential candidate when “it was like a taboo to do so.”
He said: “The APC gave me a platform. I was the only member of APC that fought and won for the house of representatives in Abia state.
“I defended my party, I took bullets for my party, I projected my presidential candidate even when it was like a taboo to do so in the south-eastern region. My office received hundreds of bullets or more because I was preaching APC.
“It is time for a reward. If there is loyalty to the party, loyalty should always be rewarded to stimulate further loyalty. If I stood firm to win for my party in Bende federal constituency, as the only surviving APC house of reps member in the entire Abia state, it means that I have something to offer and I defended my party.
“It is time for my party to let my people know that I didn’t make any mistake by standing by the party. Let them give us what is my due based on my qualification.”
He said he’s ready to abide by the final say of the party on zoning arrangements, saying he believes in the supremacy of the party.
“As a party man, I’ll oblige my party.”
“I believe in the supremacy of the party — that is key. You can have your aspiration, you can dream but it must be within the control of the platform for which you got to the house,” he added.