…warns overzealous southeast politicians over plot to destabilise Reps
The Arewa Development and Democratic Agenda (ADDA) has passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the 10th House of Representatives led by Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
The group also warned the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and her cohorts to stop meddling in the affairs of the House and pay attention to their jobs.
The Arewa group made this known at a press conference on Tuesday in Kaduna to address the loss of focus of Onyejeocha.
Comrade Yusuf Maigari, who spoke on behalf of the group, accused Onyejeocha of plotting to unseat the Speaker.
According to Maigari, Governor Hope Uzodinma is behind this plot and has already splashed billions to achieve his plan to become Vice President.
“We find it shocking that the Minister never thought of hatching this plot until the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State, declared her winner of the February 25 election for the Isuikwato-Imunneochi Federal Constituency,” he said.
“It is shocking because she has not given a thought to how her machinations would unsettle the harmonious manner in which the leadership of the country was equitably zoned to give fairness to all stakeholders.
“Nkeiruka Onyejeocha’s desire, which reeks of an entitlement mentality, has taken the negativity of selfishness too far and we are now at a stage where we can no longer remain indifferent given the speed with which the plot by the South-East has unfolded in recent days.
“We are watching but let the southeast remember that we contributed more to the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at a time when they were busy pursuing a separatist agenda and sustaining their diliance with the Labour Party while heating the polity up. Let our southeast stakeholders remember that we, the Arewa, have the largest bloc in the parliament and any attempt to disgrace our son will be met with a corresponding response.
“We have also heard that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state is behind this plot and propping up the Minister to return to the House of Representatives because of his aspiration to be president or vice president. This latest onslaught against Arewa’s interest in the legislature is part of Governor Uzodinma’s positioning of his cronies to hijack strategic national offices to prepare the ground for his supposed 2027 presidential bid.
“We find it saddening that Governor Hope Uzodinma, in cahoot with Nkeiruka Onyejeocha – a Minister in the Federal Executive Council, are today undermining the stability brought about by President Tinubu even after working against Asiwaju and only becoming latter-day converts of the struggle.
“We are also aware that the same Governor Hope Uzodinma has a fallback plan of using a former Member of the House, who also ran for Speakership like Nkiruka in the 9th Assembly to short-change the North. The North, Arewa, will reject Governor Hope Uzodinma and Onyejiocha.
“We are watching how the Imo Governor threatened to use the Court of Appeal sitting at Owerri as his private business to allocate victory to Onyejiocha, whose win at the tribunal is already being challenged. We shall monitor all justices of the Court of Appeal in Owerri, who will leave their job to answer to Hope Uzodinma and Onyejiocha. “
The group, therefore, urged President Tinubu to remov Onyejiocha as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
Maigari added: “Her exit from the Federal Executive Council will enable her to come out clearly and fight to wrest the Speakership of the House of Representatives from the North as we would like to see her and the southeast geopolitical zone achieve this disastrous plot without soiling the political reputation of President Tinubu, who the Arewa hold in high esteem.”