A group, the APC Truth Forum, has called on Nigerians to disregard the news that All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned power to the South.
Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr, the Convener “APC Truth Forum” said in a statement that the news making the rounds about the zoning of the APC Presidential ticket to the South at the behest of certain Northern Governors in the APC was not true.
He said ‘the truth is that in compliance with the directive of Mr President that Governors should meet to discuss on the possibility of a consensus candidate for the Party, the Governors met on the 4th of June, 2022. And some 11 Governors from the North who are clearly interested in being Vice Presidential Candidates to their friends from the South allegedly agreed .. to support a candidate from the South, and mandated three Governors amongst them (Simon Lalong of Plateau State, Governor Sule of Nasarawa State and Governor Bagudu of Kebbi State) to broach the idea with Mr President.
“Mr President refused to meet with them, and reiterated his position, that the Presidential aspirants in the Ruling Party the APC should find a formidable consensus candidate amongst themselves. The President did not approve of any zoning to the South or the North,’ he said.
According to him, “no communique to the effect that Northern Governors have conceded the Presidential Ticket to the South was indeed signed.
Note that the tradition of the Northern Governors when releasing a communique is to sign against their names, the disparity in the document presently in circulation can be seen.”
“In the Press Statement released by the Governors, you will notice that the signatures appeared on a new page as opposed to the valid and authentic tradition of the Governors signing on the Communique page and against their names.”
“The general public is hereby put on notice that Mr President, and indeed the All Progressive Congress has not zoned the Presidential Ticket of the Party to the South or the North.”
“We implore the media to discountenance the news making the rounds. And call on the esteemed delegates of our great Party to vote for the candidate they consider fit, proper, competent, youthful, formidable, and possessing the ability and the capacity to lead our great Party to victory in the 2023 Presidential Election”. He said.
