APC chairmanship: Niger state Governor gives support to North-Central candidates 

The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, has called on the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to support candidates from the North Central zone for the party’s leadership position.

On Monday, the governor stated this while receiving a high-powered delegation from the Sen. (Dr) George Akume Contact Team in Minna, the state capital.

“I remain resolute and committed to seeing that the ruling APC retains power at the center as well as at the states and local government levels in the country.

“It was deserved of the North Central geopolitical zone to get a fair bargain in the political arrangement of the nation.”

The governor opined that the North Central zone had been socially and politically marginalised and unfairly treated in terms of Infrastructural development. He noted that the region’s infrastructure had suffered immense deterioration because of its location as the gateway between the northern and southern parts of the country.

“I feel the North Central has not been fairly treated. Politically we have been abandoned; we are neither here nor there in political calculations. We are hardly noticed even though the zone has always delivered ‘block-vote’ for them during elections.”

He said, as the nation’s food basket, the North Central can comfortably feed the country and the whole of West Africa if the Federal Government outlines robust plans and makes deliberate efforts towards supporting agricultural programmes.

“It was in my earlier realisation of the zone’s imbalance that the party’s leadership in the region deemed it necessary to indicate interest and support aspirants from the region to vie for party offices including the chairmanship position.”

The governor assured that, as a leader to all, it was incumbent on him and the party to support any candidate from the North Central zone with the requisite credentials and pedigree to unite the party and importantly retain power in 2023.

Earlier, the Sen. (Dr) George Akume Contact Team leader, Senator Jack Gyado, said they were in the state to seek its support for Sen. Akume, who is aspiring to become the National Chairman of the ruling APC.

He stated that Senator Akume has the quality, credentials and requisite experience to feel in the void of the National Chairmanship position of the ruling party. Stressing that, as a retired Permanent Secretary, two-term governor, three-term Senator and now a Minister, Akume possesses the pedigree to consolidate the party’s gains and achievements.

Senator Jack Gyado disclosed that Senator Akume has contributed significantly to the emergence and success of the ruling APC since its formative years and assured that the former Senate Minority Leader would deliver the region and the center for the party.

However, he stated that for Senator Akume to actualise the dream, the leadership of the governor and the party have roles to play in ensuring that the APC National Chairmanship position is zoned to the North Central.

Another Senator, Jack Tili Gyado, congratulated Governor Sani Bello for his outstanding achievements in the state, adding that Nigerlites and people of the North Central zone are lucky to have such a dynamic, highly cultured progressive leader.

Editor/Suzan O.