Nigerian statesman and cocoa farmer, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya has commended the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu for inaugurating 20,000 people to lead the grassroot campaign for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He described the gesture by Kalu as a sign of his deep commitment to lead Ndigbo back to the mainstream of Nigeria politics through the reelection of Tinubu under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC).
The Deputy Speaker had recently inaugurated a 20,000 man Renewed Hope Partners, a socio-political mobilisation group to propagate Tinubu’s development agenda and push his reelection. He donated N500m to the group to aid its work.
In a chat with newsmen in Umuahia, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya who holds the prestigious title of Evulogu in Ibeku land , urged other politicians in APC to emulate Ben Kalu to ensure that Ndigbo return massive votes for Tinubu in 2027.
Chief Ogbonnaya, who is a two-time Commissioner in Abia state, noted that collective and pragmatic action was required to sell APC to the South East ahead of the election.
He said that those who wish to benefit from the APC’s controlled federal government must begin to sow seeds of hardwork now to avoid lamentations after.
According to him, ” it is now that we should start working hard for those juicy appointments that we desire. When we vote massively for Tinubu and APC, we have a stronger bargaining power for the South East. “
Chief Ogbonnaya also affirmed that the stakeholders in Abia state were solidly behind Ben Kalu to drive the Tinubu reelection campaign.
He condemned what he described as pettiness and jealousy exhibited by some politicians in Abia towards the leadership of the Deputy Speaker, and urged such people to desist.
” When God chose David, he was the youngest of his brothers with no leadership experience. But he turned out to be the best King in Israel. God has in our time chosen Ben Kalu to lead this crusade. We should also support him”, Ogbonnaya submitted.
On the activities of the Coalition group against the reelection of Tinubu, the APC chieftain described it as a project that is dead on arrival.
Said he” all the political actors there are either disgruntled or spent forces who can not change the tide. But I pity the southerners among them because they are either naive or wicked .”
He noted that Tinubu as a Southerner needed to complete the tenure of the South before power returns to the North, and described what is happening among the coalition politicians as the height of desperation.
” Our brothers from the North should wait for their turn after Tinubu’s second tenure. This current gang up is totally uncalled for. I urge all Southerners in the coalition to withdraw because it is against our collective interest,” he argued
