The All Progressives Congress (APC) State Assembly Legislators of the North West Zone, have endorsed Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for President in 2023.
The legislators passed a vote of confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari for his sterling and cohesive leadership, urging him not to relent in ensuring that he left Nigeria in 2023 a better place.
The forum also passed a vote of confidence in the Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) for its positively aggressive repositioning of the party.
Their endorsement was communicated in a communiqué issued after the extraordinary meeting of the forum, which also had in attendance, former House of Assembly Members of the North West Zone.
It was read by the former Speaker of the Niger House of Assembly, Mr Ahmed Marafa, in Abuja on Thursday.
The north west legislators also urged the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee to zone the party’s Presidency to the north.
Marafa said the North West legislators agreed to support their colleagues in the North Central for 2023 Presidency, saying the zone had been deprived of the number one position since Nigeria’s independent in 1960.
Quoting the communique, he said: “We resolved: that the state assembly legislators of the North west zone endorse and state their unalloyed and unshaken support for the aspiration of the young and ebullient governor of Kogi who has, against all odds, decided to take the bull by the horns, by aspiring to the office of the President of Nigeria, come 2023.
“The members thank him for leading the clarion call for the presidency of Nigeria to come to the North central zone and urged him to have no fear or doubt in his race for the exalted office as members of the North west zone are solidly behind him.
“The meeting also agreed to call on the leadership of our great party, APC, to zone the presidency to the Northern region of the country.”
“This is because, the North will rule for 10 years,, at the end of President Buhari’s tenure, while the Southern region has ruled for 14 years,” the Legislators said.
Earlier in his remarks, Speaker of the Kogi house of assembly, Mr Matthew Kolawole, galvanised the incumbent and former state lawmakers’ support for Bello’s presidential aspiration.
Kolawole described Bello as a young dynamic and energetic individual with capacity to manage Nigeria diversity, who would also fit into the demand for young president in 2023.
A member of the Sokoto state house of assembly, Alhaji Maidawa (Sagari Constituency) said the Sokoto state lawmakers and their supporters were in full support of Bello’s presidential ambition.
Maidawa described Bello’s presidential ambition and the meeting as a new beginning for Nigeria.
Mr Aliyu Lawal, representing Kaduna Central, Kaduna house of assembly, described Bello as a bridge-builder and young promising Nigerian who had the capacity to tackle Nigeria’s problems.
“I believe that not only the North will support Bello’s ambition but the other zones of the country,” Lawal said.
On his part, a member of the Zamafara house of assembly, Mr Yusuf Alhassan, said it was logical for the North west, which had at different times, produced the President, to support the North central in 2023.
Alhassan said this was important for the region to have a sense of belonging in the project Nigeria.
“We are saying no objection. We are strongly behind Bello,” he said.
A member of the Zamafara house of assembly, Mr Ibrahim Dikko, said the capacity of Yahaya Bello should not be limited to North Central, as he had the wisdom and capacity to deliver, irrespective of the state he came from.
A member of Niger house of assembly, Mr Yawale Maibeza, said that Nigerian youths believed that endorsing Bello for president was a right decision at the right time. (NAN)
