Lays claim to seat as ‘most senior’ lawmaker
Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu has indicated that the 10th Assembly could not afford to vote for a Muslim Senate President, citing Nigeria’s secularity.
The former Abia State governor, who backed the same faith ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that produced President-elect Bola Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, observed that having another Muslim as Senate President would not augur well for the country.
The ruling party’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is equally a Muslim from Nasarawa State.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja, Kalu noted: “In a secular state, you will need to accommodate interest and spread to maintain the secularity of the country.
“I believe in a Muslim-Muslim presidency, but I do not believe in a Muslim Senate President because it will not go fine for our country.”
Indicating interest for the seat and stating it was his turn, he restated: “I will not be comfortable with a Muslim Senate President because this is a secular state.”
The chief whip urged APC to zone the office to his South East geopolitical zone.
“And so, I will like the party to zone it to my zone, to my village in Igbere because President-elect Tinubu needs people of high character to turn around the economy and work for the masses. I am an economic person, an entrepreneur,” he said.
Kalu insisted that he is the most qualified lawmaker for the seat going by Senate rules and his pedigree.
He went on: “The Senate has rules. Let me be honest with you, if we practise true democracy, I should not be in contest with anybody, because apart from the Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Senate Leader, I am the next ranking member in the Senate, going by the position I occupy today in the Ninth Senate.”
