BY TORDUE SALEM

ABUJA – The clamour for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the forthcoming National Assembly to be zoned to the South-East region peaked yesterday as the President of pan-Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue said President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, must bow to the wishes of the region even as the PDP will hold an emergency extended national caucus today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on the issue of zoning of key National Assembly and ministerial positions.

Uwechue, who spoke in Abuja yesterday, insisted that the South East must be honoured with the number four slot on the national protocol list for its overwhelming support to the president and the PDP in the last elections, saying that the “reward system must be commensurate with the support.

“The PDP as a political party got total support from Igboland. The long and short is that we want something from the National Assembly and they have said it: it is either Senate Presidency or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

He said it would not be fair if the Igbo were excluded from getting deserving positions on “flimsy excuse” of ensuring “stability” in the system.