From Fred Itua, Abuja

Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday, declared that it was his turn to become head of the 10th Senate

The former governor of Abia State who made the assertion while answering questions from newsmen at the National Assembly, Abuja, urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the seat to the South East. He said with his position as Chief Whip, he is the most ranking senator from the region and therefore deserves the position.

Kalu said he was ready to run for Senate president if the party zones the position to his zone because the party’s decision was supreme.

“So, I will like the party to zone it to my zone, to my village in Igbere because President-elect Tinubu needs people of high character to turn around the economy and work for the masses, make laws that will enable him turn around the economy, because, I am an economic person, an entrepreneur,” he added

Kalu said he had sponsored economy-boosting bills like the railway bill that would enable state governments and private sector entities build railways.

The former Abia State governor said he was the most qualified senator for the position based on Senate rules and his pedigree.

“The Senate has rules; let me be honest with you, if we practise true democracy, I should not be in a contest with anybody because apart from the Senate president, deputy Senate president, the Senate leader, I am the next ranking member going by the position I occupy today in the 9th Senate.

“It is virtually impossible that the Senate will elect or zone it to a new member to the Senate. The Senate is an established institution that needs somebody with experience, someone with the skills and will be able to relate.”

Kalu said he had been part of team Nigeria, and would always be there for Nigerians at all times. “And I hope that Nigerians will pray for me to be Senate President because it is my turn.”

On the conduct of the general elections, Kalu said no elections anywhere in the world is perfect, saying there were lapses in some aspects of it.

“We have some lapses; there is no democracy that is perfect, but we must move on. INEC has done the job they can do, it is left for us as lawmakers to tighten the lose ends where there were mistakes and go back for an amendment in the Electoral Act. I want you journalists to promote where there is lapses.”

He said President-elect, Bola Tinubu, when sworn in would stand firm in giving good governance, and would also stand firm with the 10th Assembly to amend the constitution to make for an electronic voting process and do away with paper works in elections.

“For me, no election is perfect, and President-elect, Tinubu, is talking about fairness and he will work with the National Assembly in line with human rights to address the issues of economy, electoral processes, police and security and remove the issues around our electoral processes.”