By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
APC leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of the North Central APC Forum has called on Governor Simon Bako Lalong to immediately reject his appointment as the Director General of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Organization, saying is an insult to the region.
The Forum said since last year it has been canvassing for the emergence of the next President from the zone, because it was time for the zone to produce the next president of the country come 2023.
Speaking on behalf of the Forum in Jos, the Plateau State Capital, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga explained that their initial stance was not to compromise the 2023 Presidency for any other position because apart from the military era, the region since this democratic dispensation hasn’t actually produced either the president or the Vice President, but has largely contributed to the democratic growth in the nation.
Zazzaga noted that it then became obvious that their push for the presidency could not be actualized since the APC, in a way of mutual understanding, considered the Southern part of the country for the presidency. But they immediately began to canvass for the Vice Presidential slot which the zone was eventually not considered too as it went to the North East.
So, he said, if the North Central is not good or qualified enough for the presidential ticket because the party thinks nobody from the region has the political weight to pull votes from the Northern region for the party come 2023, how come then has the party or presidential candidate in the person of Tinubu become so trustful of someone from the region to become the presidential campaign organization Director General?
“Our concern in the 2023 elections is that of North Central as either the President or Vice President, but we were denied because they consider us either not qualified or competent enough. But as soon as it comes to Director General of the presidential campaign we suddenly become the most qualified.
“Ironically, it is the same Governor Simon Bako Lalong whom we have been canvassing support for as either President and then later as a presidential running mate/vice president, but the party discarded our call, that is suddenly been appointed as the Director General of the party’s presidential campaign organization. We spent lots of resources pushing for either the presidential slot or vice president at different times and it was all over the media since last year.
“We therefore consider Lalong’s appointment as insulting, degrading and making the region irrelevant in the political calculation of the country. We won’t accept this because this is quite unfair and sort of relegating our people to the background.
“That is why we are calling on Governor Lalong to reject this offer, and those celebrating his selection from the region should desist henceforth because this is a great slap on our face.
“We have been pushing for the good of the region in national political affairs all along, but those who have neither lend their voices, time and resources to our cause are busy celebrating the ‘relegation’ of our region in this 2023 elections at the national level. This is quite insensitive, unfortunate and regrettable,” he said.
Zazzaga further pointed out that as a forum with a mission to uplift the North Central zone, they have been engaged in initiating political and empowerment activities that would benefit the region, and that they will not back down on their mission for the region.
He said they remain loyal to the APC and have been working for the success of the party in one way or the order, but that they equally work with others irrespective of party affliction for the peace and progress of the North Central region.
He explained that forming a forum to project the North Central region is legitimate, pointing out that even among the governors, legislators and local government chairmen, there have forums to represent their divers regions, wards and interests.
