Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Tuesday reiterated their backing for the endorsement of chieftains for National Assembly presiding offices.
PGF Chairman and Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodimma, spoke when he received the campaign team of the Abbas/Kalu joint ticket, led by the Joint Task –10th Assembly Coalition at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.
He said the party has made the best choice for the National Assembly.
The leadership of the party had endorsed Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State and Benjamin Kalu from Abia State as their preferred candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
Uzodimma said the least the governors should do is to ensure that the party’s preference and vision is actualised come June 13th.
He commended members of the coalition who are drawn from the eight political parties that won seats in the 10th House, saying they made the right decision to support the joint ticket.
Uzodimma said: “I congratulate you once more for the success you achieve in the last election and for coming together to form an alliance towards the speakership race. You have taken a good decision to support these two gentlemen.
“What we are practicing today is democracy and APC is the ruling party and you have a responsibility now to help the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed, and we all know that the most sensitive arm of government is the legislature and if we make a mistake with it, the other two arms will be affected.
“If the parliament is right, the government will be right, and I want to urge you to reach out to those who are aggrieved to persuade them to see the reason to agree with us.
“When you have a situation such as this, you will tell others your party is the best and this instance, APC is in the majority and we have to demonstrate maturity by forging a common front in unity.”
Uzodimma appealed to other aspirants to close ranks with the party’s preferred candidates and work together for a purposeful legislature capable of promoting and projecting the interest of Nigerians.
He said Abbas’ choice by the party was not an imposition.
Uzodimma added: “There’s no such thing as imposition. It’s for the benefits of all of us, and the synergy will help us to achieve more for our people back home.
“If you say that, it means you’re willing and ready to disagree with the majority including the government. We know you have the power of appropriation, but when you appropriate, what about cashbacking?
“You certainly don’t want to go home after four years and tell your people you couldn’t achieve anything because you were not cooperating with the executive for their benefit. But when you work in harmony, you will reap the benefits of the cooperation and your people back home will be the better for it.”
The governor also told reporters after the meeting that the APC governors have resolved to demonstrate maturity and work with the choice of the party, adding that Abbas and Kalu represented the best in the present circumstance.
According to him, the National Assembly is not about what zone produces a presiding officer, but about who is capable of handling the dynamic of current socioe-conomic situations.
He said the PGF is confident that Abbas and Kalu will deliver to Nigerians the kind of legislature that will engender economic rejuvenation of the masses.
Abbas, Kalu and the the SouthEast Zonal Chairman of Joint Task – 10th Assembly, Nnolim Nnaji (PDP Enugu) commended the governor for hosting the team and assuring them of his colleagues’ resolve to support the project.
They restate their readiness to ensure a united 10th Assembly and work towards actualising the programmes and policies of the Tinubu administration.
Kalu thanked Uzodinma for throwing his weight behind the ticket.
Kalu explained that his candidature was not for individual recognition, but the mandate of the Southeast.