Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu declared on Saturday that the Igbo population in Nigeria will not settle for a brief four-year presidency after waiting decades for the office. Kalu insisted that whenever power shifts to the South-East, the region must complete the standard eight-year tenure enjoyed by other geopolitical zones.
The lawmaker addressed the issue during an All Progressives Congress (APC) women rally held in Enugu State. His remarks directly challenged individuals within the South-East region who have publicly advocated for a single four-year term arrangement.
Why did Benjamin Kalu reject the four-year term proposal?
Kalu maintained that accepting a short-changed tenure would undermine the political standing of the Igbo people within the Nigerian federation. He noted that historical promises made to the South-East have frequently gone unfulfilled, reinforcing the need for a complete and uncompromised mandate.
"Let me say this that some people are going around telling us that they have made an agreement that Igbos will go for the Presidency for four years," Kalu stated during the rally.
"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."
How does this relate to Peter Obi's stance?
The Deputy Speaker's comments follow recent declarations by the standard- bearer of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, who previously indicated that he would willingly serve a single four-year term if elected to lead the country.
While various political actors have proposed single-term transitions to address regional power-sharing concerns, Kalu argued that the South-East should not be subjected to a restricted timeline when occupying the highest office.
"Upon the rotation of the presidency to our zone, the Igbo people shall be accorded a complete eight-year tenure, identical to that granted to other regions," Kalu concluded, emphasizing parity with past and future leaders from different parts of the country.