Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has stated that any push for him to run for governor of Abia State must originate from within the party.
Speaking to journalists in his Bende town, Bende LGA, Kalu stated that, while the governorship is vital, his political ambitions go beyond that.
“It is the call from the party that will make me run if they find me worthy. Political ambition does not end with being a governor. I can fit in beyond being a governor. It is not the ultimate. I have no business being in politics except to serve the people.
“What we face now is governance, and my mandate is to get the job done.
“It is not yet time to declare for anything, but it is time for governance and engaging with my people to find out their problems.”
Speaking on persuading the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to join the All Progressives Congress, the lawmaker said the state is currently isolated at the federal level.
“I was asking him to join APC because he was one of us who strengthened the party in Abia State. His joining APC will open more doors to our people. Otti is my friend. My call for him to join the APC is borne out of sincerity of purpose. If he had heeded that call, I don’t think Abia would be disadvantaged. I am wooing him to come.
“But as he has refused, the party will choose somebody. I have spoken to him several times, and I meant well for him, but we cannot extend the invitation forever. I am not self-centered; otherwise, I would not be inviting him to come and take over,” he said.
Responding to questions about the possibility of a Southeasterner being Nigeria’s next president after Bola Tinubu, Kalu asked the region’s people to reach out to other zones in order to win support for the project.
On local government autonomy, the Deputy Speaker pointed out deficiencies in LG administration around the country, adding that when local governments function well, governors will have less work.
He applauded South East governors for their efforts to maintain peace in the region, which is consistent with his PISE-P (Peace in South East Programme).
