N’Central Youths Back Govs, Insist APC Zoning Won’t Stand
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The North Central Youth Stakeholders Forum and the Middle Belt Forum, have thrown their weight behind the decision reached at the recent meeting of the governors and National Assembly members-elect from the region, insisting that the zoning formula released by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not stand.
In a statement, leader of the groups, Mohammed Mohammed, said the zoning arrangement announced by the APC NWC was a clear and deliberate attempt to undermine the contributions of the North Central to the survival of the APC and its victory at the February 25th general election and subsequent polls.
Expressing displeasure with the zoning template, he said it was far from being fair and just.
“We find it unbecoming that other regions that performed abysmally at the polls are given preference in zoning arrangement of the APC NWC, while relegating the North Central, which contributed optimally to the victory of the APC and its presidential candidate would be literally denied any principal position in the coming National Assembly.
“It is all the more insulting that even to consider the North Central for the third position in the legislative Houses is subject of debate and speculation,” he said.
The groups, however, called on all stakeholders in the APC to impress on the NWC of the party and all those behind the agenda to rescind, withdraw, review and reverse the unpopular decision and in the alternative, allow the elected federal legislators to form their leadership.
They also called on the President elect, Bola Tinubu, to do all he could to reclaim his statesmanship by supporting the popular will of the people against those who want to subvert it.
The groups added that it did not gladden anyone to think that the relegation of the North Central after the central role it played in the emergence of the coming administration in spite of all the odds, was calculated to diminish the rising political relevance of the region.
“For the avoidance of doubt, therefore, and for those who have ears to hear, the North Central would never settle for any other position lower than the Senate Presidency and Speakership of the House of Representatives,” they said.
