2023: APC Group tells Yahaya Bello to drop Presidential ambition

Tom Okpe, Abuja

North Central Council of the All Progressives Congress, APC has asked the incumbent Governor of Kogi State,Yahaya Bello to drop his Presidential ambition in the 2023 general election, urging the party to zone the national chairmanship position to the geo-political zone.

Leader of the group, Dr Kassim Muhammad in a press conference at the party national secretariat in Abuja, Thursday said Yahaya Bello should rather, join the group to campaign for the national chairman for the zone.

He said: “We are appealing to Gov Yahaya Bello to drop his presidential ambition, and join us in the campaign to ensure that the North Central produces the next APC National Chairman.

“The North Central Council is equally appealing to the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello to have a rethink over his 2023 presidential ambition as it will be fair in the spirit of one Nigeria to allow the southern part of the country to produce the next president, come 2023.

“We strongly believe that conceding the presidential ticket of our party, the APC to the southern part of the country would enhance equity and political justice. We believe that the Kogi State Governor is a true Democrat who beliefs in one Nigeria.”

Kassim commended the Caretaker/ExtràOrdinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC led by Mai Mala Buni for uniting the party and wooing other party members to the ruling party, APC.

“The party led by Buni has done so much in healing the wounds of the past by
reconciling the various factions in most affected States.

“Under Governor Buni’s leadership, our party has witnessed peace and daily influx of
opposition political parties into the fold of the APC across the country; we cannot thank the Yobe State Governor enough for strengthening the party and providing credible leadership.

“The Buni leadership was able to woo a sitting Governor of a State under the PDP platform with all the structures of the party into the fold of the APC, the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, two former speakers of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and Dimeji Bankole, as well as former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel.

“It is also gratifying to note that the Buni led APC was able to bring back a former
National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Barnabas Gemade, and a large number of former and serving members of the national assembly across the country to swell the ranks of the ruling APC.”

The group also commended the CECPC for suecessfully reviewing the
party’s menmbership revalidatinn/registration across the country.

“What the APC needs at the moment is a committed, energrtic, dynamic and experienced party man to pilot the affairs of the party, and we are glad, it is been done already.

“We are therefore, appealing to President Mohammadu Buhari APC Governors
and other key stakeholders of the party to continue supporting the Buni led APC
to succeed in the task of repositioning the party for future elections.

“However, as the party prepares for a convention that will usher in democratically elected national executives, we the North Central Council are appealing to our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC Governors as well as key stakeholders of the party across the country to consider the North Central for the position of the National Chairman of the party

“The reasons for this agitation are stemmed from the fact that the North West, presently constituted a sitting President and the North East, occupying the position of the Senate president.

“The only geopolitical 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 noted.