The lawmaker representing Bende federal constituency in Abia State, Benjamin Kalu, has withdrawn from the race to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
This comes a day after the official announcement of the zoning formula by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 10th National Assembly.
Kalu, however, has declared his intention to run for the Office of Deputy Speaker.
In a statement by his media aide, he said: “I believed this position was ideal for the Southeast region, as it has not produced a Speaker in the last 40 years.
”However, as a firm believer in Party supremacy, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for the Speakership Position and fully accept the nomination for the position of Deputy Speaker of the 10th Assembly in line with the directives of our Party the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
APC has endorsed Godswill Akpabio as Senate President and Jibrin Barau as the Deputy.
Abbas Tajudeen has been endorsed as House of Representatives Speaker and Ben Kalu as his Deputy.