Ifeanyi Umere, the Senior Special Adviser to the Abia state Government on Social Orientation and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), has called out the Presidency and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over its position on the incoming leadership of the 9th National Assembly.
He berated the governing party for allegedly heating up the polity with its zoning formula, asserting that the APC-led administration lacked the capacity to install their preferred candidates in any principal offices of the national assembly without the backing of the opposition senators and representative members.
According to Umere, who spoke with DAILY POST on Friday in Umuahia, said, “I want to state categorically clear that, it is the responsibility of members of the national Assembly to elect their leadership. I am particularly very disturbed about the frenzy and approach of the Presidency and national leadership of APC as it relates to the leadership of the national Assembly.
“Unfortunately, all the gimmicks are geared towards distancing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from being part of the leadership of ninth national Assembly. For us in PDP, I want state it vividly that whatever channel, whatever auspices the leadership emerges, PDP will be part of it.
“Because, PDP is part and parcel of the National Assembly. So, we are entitled to be part of the leadership. On the part of APC, is their prerogative to play party politics as it deem fit for them. I’m disappointed with APC leaders from South East, it has further exposed them. That the party (APC) they sold dummy to their people, do not have them in their circumference, is a clear message. Our people reacted by not voting for APC. PDP basically, is strong here in South East, and is difficult for anybody to wish away that.’
Asked to react on the decision of Senator-elect for Abia North district, Orji Uzor Kalu, to vie for the post of Deputy Senate President in the coming 9th National Assembly, Umere said, “I sympathized with APC leaders in South East, the likes of Former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, who went frenzy, exhibiting complete lack of understanding of legislative processes. If you do, you will not go hell wired in trying to raise ethnic sentiments, you play the politics on the floor of the national Assembly, playing it in the media is unrealistic.
“I overheard him in one of the news interviews where he said, he has the capacity to shop, he can shop more than anybody. That also reconcile him(Kalu) with the phenomenon of being an entrepreneur, who have no business in politics. When taken to court to answer questions about Abia financial patrimony that was tampered with, his witnesses related the money to have gone into purchase of Okirika (Used clothes). These are people who have sentenced themselves in APC, who of course, are not threat to us. We (PDP) are awaiting to meet them (APC) on the floor of the red and green chambers.’
