Partisan affiliation conforms with the inalienable and fundamental rights of Nigerians as it forms the basis and galvanizes the engine through which an individual can ventilate his opinions and aspirations as it were on local, national and international issues as it affects him.
It therefore follows that political vehicles through which one drives his political views is of the essence and as such, should be seen as veritable and essential towards the growth and enhancement of one’s political culture.
Through the evolving political culture and participation, political Parties have emerged while others, for one reason or the other have gone into extinction, with the emerging ones pushing through the nooks and crannies of the nation, Nigeria as a Case-in-Chief, towards the emergence of a national party in all ramifications, where it’s members are accorded equal status and opportunities.
Though there are political platforms that are seen as regional, given the fact that every politics is local, making national statements and occupying more pronounced political positions requires involvement with and in a more nationalized platform that cuts across the geo-political zones and which by itself must be seen as such, viz a viz not relegating or segregating some individuals as coming from a ‘politically disadvantaged region’.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, is the incumbent ruling Party in Nigeria, following the perceived instituted arrogance of the Peoples Democratic Party at the centre then, which institutionalized exclusion and segregation, and necessitated the coming together of heavy weights, hence the birth of the APC, which is on a daily basis being embraced by Nigerians as a national Party, in words and deed.
It has become pertinent to opine that nevertheless, in the light of the above, perception being of the essence, the South East is still seen as not adequately being carried along by the APC, though the likes of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, a Senator-Elect, Represntative Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and the sterling and enigmatic Representative Benjamin Kalu , the Spokesperson of the present 9th Federal Legislature amongst maybe one other, have been visible ambassadors of the Party, whose performance has endeared to all and sundry within the South-East geo political zone.
The above has become incumbent on the APC to ensure that the perceived apathy or backpedaling in the South East, birthed through the erroneous perception of the Party not tagging the South East along is nipped in the board and permanently quenched in order to give the South East a sense of belonging.
It is not in doubt that Representative Benjamin Kalu as a case in point has demonstrated absolute and total loyalty to the APC and presently the Chief Marketer of the Party in Abia State, given his wide acceptance across board because of his performance within a few years in the Federal House of Representatives.
To insist that Represntative Benjamin Kalu has become a brand, even on the floor the the Green Chambers is stating the glaring obvious.
Therefore, it has become of the essence to beseech the APC to give the South East a sense of belonging as the search for the Speakership of the 10th National Assembly intensifies as it will no be out of place for the reward system of loyalty be activated and Benjamin Kalu be so rewarded for his absolute loyalty and sterling performances on behalf of the All Progressives Congress.
The Party has a lot to gain in the South-East with the likes of the charismatic Benjamin Kalu as the ‘primus inter pares’ given the fact that when others in the Zone chose to shy away from standing up for the Party, Represntative Kalu stood as a rock and rewarding him with the Speakership of the 10th National Assembly would not be too much to ask for.
HENRY ONYEMA MADUBUIKE
Convener,
Center for Excellence and Performance in Governance