Concerned All Progressive Congress (APC), stakeholders have called for the return of the national APC chairmanship position to the North Central.
Speaking at a press conference addressed by the concerned APC stakeholders, the coordinator of the group, Muhammad Saidu Etsu said it is fair for the national working committee and the president to ensure that the position returns to the north central.
He said, “Since assuming office after a smooth transition from one APC administration to another, the leader of our party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has lived up to his avowed characteristic as a listening leader. We have seen the manifestation of this rare quality on several occasions in how he has steered the affairs of the country thus far with a broad-based consultation, re-examination, even reversal of earlier positions or decisions when better suited arguments are advanced.
“That is why we are calling on the president, and the NEC of our party to immediately swing into action by re-positioning the APC and ensuring inclusive remake of the National Working Committee (NWC), where the North Central Zone regains the position of the national chairman of the party which it lost after the resignation of erstwhile chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu.
“On behalf of all APC stakeholders from the country, advocates of inclusive leadership in our party from across the country, and all aspirants who participated in the 2022 elective convention of the party from the zone, we are calling for the retention of the seat of the party chairman in the zone where position was micro-zoned in the North.”
On the reasons for the demand, Etsu said the zone has given the president more support both during the election and after the election, noting that, “perhaps we should consider the merits of North Central regaining this office from how much acceptance the president enjoys in the zone. In the last general election, the president polled 1,760,993 votes ( 41.3 per cent of North Central votes cast) to defeat his closet rival in the zone by a margin of 345, 436 votes. The president got the required 25 per cent votes in all the six states of the zone, including the FCT, and won with great lead margin in Niger, Kogi, Kwara, and Benue states.
“By this record, the zone gave the President the third highest votes after North West and South West. The All Progressives Congress should reflect on these factors and ensure they don’t leave a friend (The North Central) behind.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that APC in the North Central is blessed with an abundance of competent and capable individuals who parade the credentials to lead the party through its next phase as the Tinubu administration settles down to deliver good governance to the people. That is why we are calling on the party to be more strategic and focus on the bigger picture in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, allow the North Central to produce the next chairman to continue the mandate given to the zone in 2022. And uphold the sanctity of Article 31.5 (I) of our party constitution.”
