*zones position to Yobe, Borno
A new National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will emerge during a meeting of the party’s caucus in the North East geo-political zone expected to hold in February 2020.
The Zonal Secretary, Abubakar Sadiq, disclosed this on Monday after a meeting of the APC North East Zonal Executive and State Party Chairmen held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
“The position was officially declared vacant late last year and we have to micro-zone it to two states of Borno and Yobe.
“We have directed the two states involved to meet and endorse a candidate for the position. They will present the endorsed candidate for final confirmation during our next zonal caucus meeting latest by next month, February, for final recommendation and presentation to the national leadership of the party,” Sadiq said while addressing journalists after the meeting.
Two key contenders for the position are Architect Waziri Bulama, the Deputy Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, who hails from Borno State; and a former interim National Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Tijani Musa Tumsah, who is also a member of the APC Board of Trustees (BoT).
A communique jointly signed by North East APC National Vice Chairman, Comrade Mustapha Salihu and Publicity Secretary, Ilyazu Habeeb, said Senate President Ahmad Lawan had been endorsed as the Chairman of APC North East caucus and the party leader in the North East zone.
“Whereas, after exhaustive discussion on the progress and unity of our great party, the APC North East Zone hereby resolve as follows:
“That the APC North-east zone is in total support of all the programmes and policies of the federal government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly the intervention programme of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), the multi-billion Naira Mambilla Hydropower project and the fight against insurgency in the zone.
“That a caucus meeting of the APC in the zone will be held very soon to deliberate on the way forward for the APC and the entire zone.
“The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan being the highest political office holder is appointed as the Chairman, APC North East caucus and the party leader in the North East zone.
“That the APC North East zone frowns at and is not aware of a letter going round for the endorsement of a particular candidate for National Secretary purportedly said to be from the APC North East zone.
“That all issues pertaining to the National Secretary shall be discussed and thrashed at the state level and thereafter brought to the Zonal level for presentation to the National level as constitutionally provided,” the communiqué read by Publicity Secretary stated.