A group under the aegis of North Central Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello to shelve his presidential ambition and allow the South to produce the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
Addressing a press conference at the APC headquarters, yesterday in Abuja, leader of the group, Dr. Kassim Muhammad, said the party’s presidential ticket should rotate to the South for fairness and justice.
He added that Governor Bello, who is from the North Central, should quit the race to boost the region’s chances of getting the party’s chairmanship slot.
“The North Central Council is appealing to the Governor of Kogi State, HE 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 believes in one Nigeria.
“We are, therefore, appealing to HE 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.
“However, as the party prepares for a convention that will usher in democratically elected national executives, we the North Central Council members 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 national chairman of the party,” he added.
