By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

AS Nigerians look ahead with expectations from the 10 th National Assembly after recently elected federal lawmakers were presented their Certificate of Return, CoR, a group called United Nigeria Movement for Equity, Justice and Fairness, UNMEJF, Wednesday, threw weight behind Senator Orji Kalu to emerge Senate President, and called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to consider zoning the office of the Senate President to the South East geopolitical zone in the spirit of justice and fairness.

This was part of the communiqué issued by the group and signed by Mazi (Dr.) Ezenwa AA Onyirimba; Linda Ene Dirisu; Emmanuel Ejike Eze; Olugbenga Saka; Alhaji Tauheed Ozigi; Chinonso Gerald Pigo; Hon. Dominic Alancha; Hon. Aliu Asipita Abdulmuluku; Hon.Comr.Chukwu Ani John; Hon. Michael chibizo; ezenwa calista chinaza (naza carly); Dr. Obasi Oko Igbokwe; Kenneth Udeh; Emmanuel Odoemelam; Phma.Bello Idris; Hon. Mathias Agbo Omikpa; Hon Dahiru Garba; Ogugua chioma Gloria; Haruna Abdulazeez Sultan; and Hon. Akinloye Israel.

The communiqué was read by the President, United Nigeria Movement for Equity, Justice and Fairness, Dr Ezenwa Onyirimba, where also the group congratulated the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his victory.

The communiqué reads in part, “That we urge and call on the leadership of our party to look into zoning the office of the Senate President officially to South Eastern part of Nigeria.

“A Senate President from South -East will bring the needed peace and co-existence among all Nigerians and thereby, reducing or eliminating the agitation from that zone.

“A Senate President from South -East will give the people sense of belonging in a party they perceived as a Muslim and non Igbo friendly political party which will enable our party to penetrate the zone and take advantage of the dying situation of PDP in the zone.

“A Senate President from South -East will ensure that the administration of his Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR will be well accepted by all and also it will show that our party belongs to all.

“We as free thinkers have also looked further around the south eastern part for a most qualified candidate for the office of the senate president, we decided that his excellency Dist Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu is most qualified, credible and highest ranking member of the 9th assembly from the zone is suitable for the position of the Senate President of 10th Assembly.

According to them, Orji Kalu exhibited his courage & loyalty to Tinubu and the party when he became the first member of our party to publicly back our president elect to choose Muslim running mate, Kalu’s stand made him take so many bullets from the opposition and risk reelection, but it also doused the fears amongst Nigerians that there was nothing wrong in our president having a Muslim Vice President.

“We urge our party to exclusively make it known to all our senator elects to avoid a repeat of Sariki’s system of hijacking the leadership and bringing Asiwaju administration distractions.

“WE believe that His Excellency Dist Sen Orji Uzor Kalu will be a great team player, assets and backbone in the Senate. A trusted ally of our president elect for over 3 decades. We all know that Orji Uzor Kalu is well accepted in a religion, tribe and among younger Nigerians. It’s a partnership that will work for all.

“His Excellency Dist Sen Orji Uzor Kalu has sacrifice so much for our party, his a loyal party man,he staked his reelection to campaign for our president elect in a zone that felt that it’s their time of becoming the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria”, it pointed.