One of the aspirants for the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has withdrawn from the race.
Kalu’s withdrawal followed his nomination by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position of Deputy Speaker.
The Abia State lawmaker, who represents Bende Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, has since accepted the party’s decision.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, through a statement on Monday, also adopted Tajudeen Abbas, a lawmaker from Kaduna, for the position of speaker and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as Senate President.
“I wish to extend my gratitude and appreciation to all who have tirelessly supported my candidacy for the speakership position of the 10th assembly.
“I believed this position was ideal for the south-east region, as it has not produced a speaker in the last 40 years,” the statement reads.
Kalu said, “As a firm believer in party supremacy” he decided to withdraw his candidacy for the speakership position and “fully accept the nomination for the position of deputy speaker of the 10th assembly in line with the directives” of the APC.
“This decision aligns with the party’s commitment to fairness, equity, and inclusiveness in all of its leadership selection processes,” he said.
Kalu, therefore, asked stakeholders in the South-east to accept the party’s decision to ensure the region is not “entirely left out” in the leadership of the 10th Assembly.