By Christiana Ekpa
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has described President Bola Tinubu as the messiah the South-East has been waiting for since the end of the Nigerian Civil War, declaring that the region will support his re-election in 2027.
Kalu also insisted that the Igbo people would not accept a four-year presidential tenure when power eventually rotates to the South-East, arguing that the region deserves the same eight-year opportunity enjoyed by other geopolitical zones.
He made the remarks on Saturday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) women’s empowerment rally in Enugu State.
According to Kalu, successive administrations had failed to fulfil the promises of reconciliation, reconstruction and reintegration made to the Igbo people after the civil war, leaving the region marginalised for decades.
He, however, credited Tinubu with demonstrating genuine commitment to the South-East, citing the establishment of the South-East Development Commission, infrastructure projects and scholarship opportunities.
The Deputy Speaker also recalled that Tinubu, while serving as Lagos State governor, appointed an Igbo man, Ben Akabueze, into his cabinet, adding that no Igbo-owned property was confiscated and no Igbo businessman was arrested during his administration.
He said: “For now, our mandate is to support the man that has been supporting us. This man has not hidden his love for Ndi-Igbo.”
Kalu argued that the establishment of the South-East Development Commission under Tinubu marked a significant departure from previous administrations, which had repeatedly failed to actualize the initiative.
He added that the President deserved another term because of his administration’s interventions in the region.
On the agitation for a single-term presidency for an Igbo candidate, Kalu faulted those advocating a four-year arrangement, insisting that the South-East should not be shortchanged when its turn comes.
“Some people are going around telling us that they have made an agreement that Igbos will go for the Presidency for four years. Even as Igbos, we have been promised things that never came true. We can’t wait 60 years just to be president for four years,” he said.
He maintained that when the presidency eventually rotates to the South-East, the region should be allowed to complete the constitutionally permitted eight-year tenure, rather than accept a single term.
His comments come amid the debate over the presidential ambition of Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), who had indicated his willingness to serve only one four-year term if elected president in 2027.
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