By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has urged Ndigbo to abandon sentimental politics and embrace strategic political alliances, particularly with President Bola Tinubu, to secure the South-East’s political relevance and future.
Kalu argued that the region could no longer afford political isolation, insisting that building alliances with other geopolitical zones and establishing a political understanding across the Niger were critical to attracting democratic dividends and securing the Igbo people’s rightful place in Nigeria’s political equation.
He also rejected any proposed four-year power-sharing arrangement for an Igbo presidency, declaring that the South-East deserved eight years in the nation’s highest political office after waiting for nearly six decades.
The Deputy Speaker made the remarks on Thursday in Umuahia, Abia State, during the inauguration of the Abia State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council.
According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu said the Igbo people’s remarkable success in business and economic activities was largely attributable to strategic thinking, a principle he urged them to replicate in their political engagements.
He recalled how the South-East rebuilt itself after the Nigerian Civil War, largely through individual and collective enterprise, without substantial government intervention, noting that the same determination and strategic calculations should guide the region’s political decisions.
Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, lamented that political sentiment had undermined the region’s progress, stressing that emotional considerations, rather than calculated alliances, would not deliver political power or democratic dividends.
“Sentiment does not drive political growth, participation, engagement and advancement. It does not drive the dividends of democracy. It is about time that we dropped sentiment and picked up strategy.
“When I talk about strategy, I talk about political strategy. I talk about regional political alliance of Ndigbo,” he said.
He cautioned against the notion that political independence or isolation was a source of pride, maintaining that the South-East must build bridges with other regions to remain relevant in national affairs.
“To be alone is not an honour. To be alone is not a thing of pride. To work in silos is not what will define our people. We must come together with other regions, shake hands across the Niger so as to remain relevant in the scheme of things. Let no one deceive you that on our own, we can do it,” Kalu stated.
The Deputy Speaker recalled that some prominent leaders in Nigeria’s political history had made repeated efforts to secure political emancipation for their people but only achieved meaningful progress when they embraced broader alliances across the country.
He warned that poor political calculations could further marginalise the South-East, while strategic decisions would advance its interests.
Kalu consequently urged Ndigbo to stop wasting their votes and instead deploy them as political investments, identifying President Tinubu as the platform through which the region could secure meaningful political returns.
Describing Tinubu as a leader whose political philosophy transcended ethnic and religious considerations, Kalu said his support for the President was rooted in his belief in inclusive governance and the building of enduring national institutions.
“There is no pride in waste. What is strategic is to invest our votes. And as Igbo, we have always made investments that yielded dividends. And that is why we are prosperous.
“I can assure us in politics, there is going to be a paradigm shift where the Igbo will throw their votes into a rewarding investment platform and that platform is no other than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
He added that Tinubu’s leadership philosophy was based on treating every Nigerian equally, irrespective of ethnic background, language or skin colour.
“He is a man who does not know the colour of your skin, tongue or tribe that you come from, sees you as a Nigerian, relates with you as a Nigerian, treats and positions you as a Nigerian. That is the man we should give our votes to,” Kalu declared.
He called on the Igbo people to rise above political sentiments and use their voting strength to secure greater participation in the country’s governance.
On the agitation for an Igbo presidency, the Deputy Speaker dismissed the idea of accepting a four-year presidential arrangement, arguing that the region’s long years of perceived political exclusion justified an eight-year tenure.
He maintained that any proposal offering the South-East only four years in the presidency should not be presented as a genuine Igbo political agenda.
“We cannot accept four years agreement. Igbo are bigger than four years agreement because we have waited for almost 60 years.
“When they come and preach to you that this is Igbo agenda, tell them that is a wasteful Igbo agenda. Tell them that you want to be strategic and the strategic way of operating now is to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
However, Kalu expressed optimism that the South-East would eventually produce a Nigerian president, urging the people not to lose faith in their political aspirations.
“Our time will come. We have waited for too long but let us not be weary of well doing for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not. Our time is coming. The Igbo nation’s time is coming and when it comes, it will be eight and not four years,” he added.
Defending the Tinubu administration’s record, Kalu said the President had spent the last three and a half years laying the foundation for national development, predicting that Nigerians would soon begin to witness the tangible results of the administration’s policies and investments.
He likened the President’s efforts to the construction of a building, arguing that the foundation had already been laid and that the bricks, walls and roof would gradually emerge for Nigerians to appreciate the administration’s long-term vision.
The Deputy Speaker also highlighted what he described as major achievements of the Tinubu administration in the South-East, saying the interventions cut across various sectors of the regional economy.
Earlier, while inaugurating the Abia APC Campaign Council, Kalu charged its more than 500 members to intensify mobilisation for the party and take the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda to every part of the state.
He urged members of the council to discharge their responsibilities with seriousness, discipline and unity, while familiarising themselves with federal government projects in Abia State and their implementation status.
“I charge this Council to meet it with seriousness and discipline. Know the projects in Abia and their status, stay united in purpose, and be present in all 17 local governments and 184 wards,” he said.
