By Chinelo Obogo
Stakeholders in the North Central Zone under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have said that the presidential ambition of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, will not be negotiated even if the zone produces the National Chairman of the party in the forthcoming Convention.
The APC stakeholders in the North Central Zone made this known on Saturday while reacting to a statement purportedly issued by a group called, “Stakeholders in Nasarawa State Council of the All Progressives Congress,” appealing to Governor Bello to drop his presidential ambition for the national chairmanship position speculated to be awaiting the zone.
In a statement signed and issued by the Director-General, North Central Coalition for Leadership, Williams Oluwatoyin, the group said the appeal for Bello to drop his ambition, “stands logic on its head and also belittles the zone.”
They made this position known on the day Governor Bello officially presented Staff of Office to newly approved and upgraded traditional rulers at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre, in Lokoja.
According to the APC chieftains, Bello holds the overwhelming mandate of the North Central and that of many Nigerians to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
“A Bello presidency can’t be sacrificed on the altar of ‘cash and carry politics,'” they maintained, while saying they wonder which zone would be satisfied with producing a Chairman rather than producing a President.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued by a faceless group of “Stakeholders in Nasarawa State Council of the All Progressives Congress, APC” appealing to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to sacrifice his presidential ambition, to pave way for the North Central to produce the national chairman of the party.
“The said statement reportedly made by the Chairman of the Council, Kassim Muhammed-Kassim in Yola, claimed that the group endorsed Senator Abdullahi Adamu for the position of National Chairman in the forthcoming party’s Convention.
“Without mincing words, we are the authentic APC Stakeholders in the North Central and there is no other apart from us. We wonder what kind of zone would be satisfied more with producing a Chairman than producing a President.
“We, the authentic Stakeholders in APC North Central want to state categorically that we are in full support of Yahaya Bello’s Presidential ambition and we regard the purported appeal for him to back out from the race as standing logic on its head.
“By saying this, we do not by any means, infer that anybody should not vie for the chairmanship position in the North Central. What has come to stay, through popular demand, is that Yahaya Bello will contest presidency notwithstanding where the party’s chairmanship position is zoned to.
Even if the party’s chairmanship is zoned to Okene Local Government, Yahaya Bello will contest and we will ensure victory for him by God’s grace.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the North Central has produced the National Chairman of the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party not less than five times but what has this brought to our zone?
“Governor Yahaya Bello has demonstrated capacity, excellence and unequalled competence in governance and he holds the overwhelming mandate of the North Central and Nigerians as a whole to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Bello’s presidency can’t be sacrificed on the altar of cash and carry politics.”