Former governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia North senatorial district, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has revealed why he stepped down from the Deputy Senate President race.
The former governor of Abia State disclosed that he had to step down in his bid for the position of Deputy Senate President in obedience to his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that party supremacy is non-negotiable.
Congratulating the new leadership, Kalu said the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, would follow procedural positions in the discharge of their duties.
“It was a very smooth day. APC had its way because what we planned worked for APC by voting in a bipartisan manner which is the essence of constitutional democracy.
“In any parliament with majority members, the ruling party must elect the officers, not the minority party. It is becoming abnormal in the Nigerian political system wherein any House there is a majority, the minority also wants to get involved. In the real sense, there is no room for the minority in going for anything,” Kalu said.
Kalu added that it was not a normal practice of sincere democracy to see the minority making moves to control the parliament, noting that it was a cunning democracy in practice.
On Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s participation in the contest, Kalu faulted the move, saying that the APC, as the ruling party, should have the key presiding officers.
He, however, proffered solution that the rules of the Senate should be amended in such a way that anytime there is a party with majority members, they should form the government.
Kalu also said the actions of Ekweremadu and Senator Ali Ndume, were not in any way taken for the sake of safeguarding the independence of the legislature.
“The APC outside caucus, not in the Senate, had already made a decision. And if they have made a decision, we should all abide by the decision because the party is supreme. It is only these days that I am not seeing the supremacy of the party.
“In all my life, from NPN to all the parties I have been, the party is supreme. That was why I stepped down because once the party says it is over, it is over because the party is us and we are the party.
“So, if our party says this is the position, we have zoned this here, we must respect the will of the party,” Kalu maintained.