*We don’t need distractions, ex-Kano gov declares
By; BASHIR BELLO DOLLARS, Abuja
Elders and leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North-Central on the platform of Concerned North-Central APC Stakeholders has declared total support for the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the National Chairman of the party, asking him to lead beyond 2027 general elections.
The elders and leaders, who came in thousands on solidarity visit at the national secretariat of the party, on Wednesday in Abuja, declared that the current National Working Committee (NWC) of APC has shown capacity to lead and fair to all in respective of region, tribe or religion.
Speaking during an interface with the APC, a former Senate President, Senator Ameh Ebute, who led the delegation, expressed happiness that Ganduje’s leadership was adopting technology and innovation in the management of the party affairs.
Senator Ebute said, “We are from communities in Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, FCT, and Kwara States. We are true representatives of the leadership and members of our great Party across States in North Central Nigeria.
“We have by our own free will, and as a collective of true progressives, decided to pay Your Excellency this solidarity visit because we believe this is the best time to physically express our appreciation of the great things you have been doing for our great Party since you were sworn into the office of the National Chairman. Therefore, this is a solidarity visit to our respected National Chairman by Party members of North Central Nigeria to ask and demand that you continue to do more for our Party.
“Of course, Mr Chairman, we are not unaware of growing calls by some elements of the Party from the North Central Zone for reversal of the occupant of the office of the National Chairman based on the zoning arrangements that made Senator Abdullahi Adamu, your predecessor, who is from Nasarawa State in the North Central Zone, the National Chairman of our Party before he resigned in 2023.
“While we acknowledge the efforts of these advocates of returning the Chairman’s office to North Central Zone, we however, believe that the more compelling reason for anybody to advance the manner of person that will occupy the office of the National Chairman of our Party should be about consideration for track record of performance as shown in winning political contests against the opposition. Equally important is how the rank and file members of the Party are directly benefiting from the activities of the Party across the country.
“When we put all these together, we came to the conclusion that you, Your Excellency, ticks all the boxes for a performing excellent Chairman. Indeed, you’re not just a performing National Chairman but a National Chairman that had done the most in the shortest possible time to positively impact individual members of our great party while our party have also recorded impressive electoral strides bereft of rancour under your leadership.”
While passing a vote of confidence on Ganduje’s leadership, another leader of the group, Sen. Jack Tilley-Gyado, said Ganduje’s leadership as National Chairman has been ” Very efficient and it’s our prayer that you keep this job and take us to 2027 and even beyond.”
According to Tilley-Gyado, For anybody, any group of people to imagine that you can wake up suddenly, change the zoning formula, switch things around. I think it will spell disaster and doom, the smooth running of governments and the pattern across the country.
“You (Ganduje) are doing a great job. You run to everywhere there is crisis. Like my Senate President said that you are unbiased, you don’t have religion. As a means of governing this party, Christians or Muslims alike have equal opportunities under your leadership.
“Everybody has a sense of belonging under your leadership. Everybody is carried along under your leadership. The man like that is needed to support President Tinubu in his wonderous effort to turn things around, give us dividends of democracy in a very difficult situation that we find ourselves in this country today. You are a necessary factor in the success of administration of Tinubu. We, from the North Central come here to give you support in broad daylight. Having said that, it is our thinking that North Central has already been taken care of in the affairs of this government. We have a very very important position. The chief scribe of this government, namely the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, His excellency, Distinguish Senator George Akume [CON].”
Responding, Ganduje who addressed the mammoth crowd at the party House, thanked the leaders and members of the APC from the North-central, adding that his leadership will not listen to those who were trying to work against the unity of the party.
He said: “I am so happy that you realise the importance of having a stable political party that is focused, ready to win election any time anywhere.
“There is no doubt that there is an opposition but we believe with your cooperation, we will not continue to listen to undesirable elements who are not focused, who are not real party men, who want to see us that we are in disarray. We have no place for that, we are people, politicians who are committed. We know we are forging ahead so we thank you for these your resolutions. We thank you for this your commitment.”
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