Al-Makura: I will contest for APC Chairmanship if zoned to North Central

A former governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has said he will contest for the position of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress if zoned to the North Central.

Al-Makura, who is a senator at the National Assembly, representing Nasarawa South constituency, made the statement when his campaign coordinators in the 13 local government areas in the state from 2010 to date, led by the majority leader of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA), Mr Tanko Tunga (APC Awe North), visited him in his personal residence in Lafia.

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The immediate past governor, who is a leading contender for the office of the National Chairman of the ruling party in Nigeria, commended them for the visit, appreciating Governor Abdullahi Sule for taking the leading role in the campaign for his APC chairmanship ambition.

Senator Al-Makura stated this in a statement signed by his press secretary, Mr Danjuma Joseph, and made available to the Daily Trust in Lafia on Sunday.

Tunga said they were in Senator Al-Makura’s residence to strengthen the existing relationship and pray for him to get to the top as the National Chairman of APC.

Al-Makura, who said he is yet to officially declare his ambition owing to lack of guidelines by the caretaker committee of APC, said, as a loyal member, he would abide by any position taken by the party.

On his ambition for the office of the National Chairman of the party, he said: “I want to applaud Governor Sule, who is in the forefront of the project since the flag-off of the party’s revalidation in Gudi, Akwanga local government area of the state without consulting him, he spoke publicly and everyone was very happy.”

“He took the issue from a historical perspective on how CPC started in Nasarawa State and metamorphosed into APC.

“Of course, everything about APC started from this state and the reasons tabled by the governor were widely accepted,” he added.

According to him, “I didn’t officially declare my ambition because there are no guidelines yet. So, we are following events keenly as it unfolds to see when the caretaker committee of APC will issue guidelines and whatever they do, as a loyal member of the party, I will accept it in good faith.

“God’s willing, if they zone the office of national chairmanship position of our party to North Central zone, then we will all go out with our might and officially declare our ambition.

“If they throw it open, we will come out in full glare to contest, but if they zone it to either North East or North West, then I will not go into the race because I am a loyal member of APC.”