By Haruna Salami
As the race for the Speaker of the House of Representatives gets tougher Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Friday recanted its allegation against Hon. Benjamin Kalu for disloyalty to his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Addressing the press at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ Secretariat, Abuja Coalition of Arewa Patriotic Front, South West Professionals said it was misled in its earlier stance.
It will be recalled that the same Coalition addressed the press the previous day at the same venue on the leadership challenge preparatory to the election of the National Assembly leadership.
In twist of events the Ali Abacha Chairman, Northern patriotic front said they were there again “to set the record straight and also to correct some of the statements we issued”.
“As a Civil Society Organizations, we remain non-partisan and we should be seen to be so, not to allow ourselves to be dragged into politics of sentiments”.
The Coalition said its attention has been drawn to the fact that forces from Abia state working with highly placed politicians in the state are back in the trenches to paint Hon. Benjamin Kalu, a member representing Bende Federal Constituency, black ahead of the contest.
“We want to state without any equivocation that we were misled, given false information to justify the plot against Benjamin Kalu.
According to them some of the issues raised the previous day were obvious attack on the personality of the Spokesperson of the House of Representatives and member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, who expressed his interest to run for the position of the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, in a bid to misinform the general public and cast aspersions on the Integrity of the Honourable member who has so far remained an impeccable image maker of the 9th Assembly.
“If Hon. Benjamin Kalu truly sold the party in the Southeast, he would probably not be the only surviving House of Reps member from APC in the entire Abia State with eight Federal Constituencies.
“His victory is a testament of his hard work to project his party in his state and region. If Hon. Benjamin Kalu truly sold the party out in the Southeast, as been alleged how come he was the only one whose office was attacked with over 100 bullets destroying properties with so many lives put at risk in the incident? How come he was the only member whose life was threatened by hired assassins who were sent to silence him for projecting the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“If these allegations by his traducers are to be taken seriously, how come he was the only one who campaigned publicly for his party APC in Abia State, also being one of the leaders to join in receiving the Presidential Candidate of the Party during his visit to his state?
They said their findings have also revealed that the leader who joined the Abia APC gubernatorial candidate in his campaign rallies while some of the leaders who want to lead the 10th National Assembly publicly supported other political parties.
It is visibly glaring how Hon. Kalu’s billboards and that of Asiwaju were seen scattered all over the constituency courtesy of Benjamin Kalu whereas the person you want to bring in as a valuer openly fought the move, a man who’s anti-party activities were visibly witnessed by all coupled with his incessant secret night meetings with other political party’s like PDP, Labour Party and His own party App which he remains a deep financier up till date, yet you are clamoring for such character to evaluate a well-known outstanding committed party Stalwart like Kalu.
