A group, the All Progressives Congress Coalition for Credible Leadership has hailed former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, saying his personality will have a calming effect on the storms in the APC if he emerged the party’s chairman.
The group also dismissed as baseless the prediction that Al-Makura’s emergence as APC’s National Chairman might trigger political rifts that could cost the party Nasarawa State in the 2023 election, observing that contrary to the dogfight between former governors and their successors, the incumbent governor, Governor Abdullahi Sule, remained Al-Makura’s chief campaigner for the office.
The Coalition stated this in a press release signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Luben Gbenda, and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday.
“The statement credited to a group named APC Unity Forum claiming a rift between Senator Tanko Al-Makura and Governor Abdullahi Sule, which could worsen and result in APC losing Nasarawa State to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election is both illogical and total falsehood.
“On the contrary, not only has Governor Abdullahi Sule been very public and unapologetic as Senator Al-Makura’s chief campaigner for the office of the National Chairman of our great party, the popular view among party faithful and key stakeholders is that Al-Makura’s emergence will have a calming effect on the party’s storms, given his peaceful, and humble, cosmopolitan nature.
“It is equally noteworthy that while the recent state congresses of the APC were marred by cracks and parallel congresses in many states, that of Nasarawa State went smoothly and without any issues, given the quality relationship Al-Makura enjoys with Governor Sule”.
The group added that Al-Makura had all that it takes to reconcile the contesting interests, boost the party’s national popularity ahead of the 2023 elections, given his far-reaching goodwill within and outside the party
On the investigation of the former governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the group cautioned against the politicisation of the agency’s work by any group, as the EFCC was obliged to look into every petition to determine its merit, stressing that invitation by the EFCC for whatever reason is not an indictment.
