The North Central Council of All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Caretaker Committee of the party to zone its National Chairmanship position to North-Central, for equity and justice.
Dr Kassim Muhammad, Chairman of the council made the appeal when he briefed newsmen at the APC National Secretariat on Thursday in Abuja.
“We have called you here to discuss the state of affairs of our great party regarding the forth coming national convention and the direction of the party in the 2023 presidential election.
“As the party prepares for a national convention that will usher in democratically elected national executives.
“We, members of the North Central Council are appealing to our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, APC governors and the party’s key stakeholders across the country to consider the North-Central for the National Chairman position of the party.
“The reasons for this agitation are stemmed from the fact that the North-West as presently constituted, has a sitting president of the country who is still left with two years to complete his eight years tenure in office.
“The North-East is presently occupying the position of the Senate President, and the only geo-political zone in the North left, is the North-Central.
“And for fairness and equity, the national chairmanship of the party should be zoned to the North-Central,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC national convention was expected to hold in June to elect new National Working Committee (NWC) members to pilot its affairs.
Muhammad also appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi to have a rethink over his 2023 presidential ambition, saying it was not ripe for now.
He added that it would be fair in the spirit of one Nigeria to allow the South to produce the president in 2023.
Muhammad expressed believe that conceding the APC 2023 presidential ticket to the South would ensure equity and justice in the country.
“We believe that the Kogi governor is a true democrat who beliefs in one Nigeria.
“We are therefore appealing to him to drop his presidential ambition, and join us in the campaign to ensure that the North-Central produces the next APC National Chairman,” he said.
Muhammad commended Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Panning Committee (CECPC), saying it had done so much in healing the wounds of the past by reconciling aggrieved members in most states of the country.
He noted that under Buni’s leadership, the APC had witnessed peace and daily influx of members from the opposition political parties from across the country.
He lauded Buni for strengthening the party and providing credible leadership.
“The Buni leadership was able to woo a sitting governor of a state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform with all his structures into the APC fold.
”Buni was also able to bring into the fold of the APC two former speakers of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara and Mr Dimeji Bankole, and former Gov. Gbenga Daniel of Ogun.
“It is also gratifying to note that the Buni-led APC was able to bring back a former national chairman of the PDP, Sen. Barnabas Gemade,” Muhammad said.
This, he added was in addition to a large number of former and serving members of National Assembly across the country, swelling the ranks of the APC.
He appealed to Buhari, APC governors and other key stakeholders to continue to support the Buni-led APC CECPC to succeed in its task of repositioning the party for future elections.(NAN)
