* Says Nigerians are tired of APC.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP from the North Central Zone of the Country have advocated for a united front by presenting single candidate for the 2023 general election.
This was the summation of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki for Presidency Advocacy Group who visited kogi state on Wednesday as part of their tour of North Central States .
The Advocacy team led by a one time Governor of Kwara state Alhaji Muhammed Shaba Lafiagi and supported by a former acting National Chairman of PDP Alhaji Kawu Baraje , noted that the North Central had been the backbone of the political evolution of this country , but has often been short-changed of the position of presidency.
Alhaji Shaba Lafiagi lamented that through out the presidential history of this country, the zone has been playing a stabilising role in uniting the country.
He hinted that even at the period of the first Coup of 1966, when, the country was at the verge of collapse, a middle belt ,Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon was selected by the military who brought unity by ending the Biafra war, and again , when the Nation was shaken by the high handedness of Buhari administration in 1985, the Same Middle belt, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, was to the rescue of the country.
He explained that Middle belt region has had enough of Chairmanship of the ruling parties in the country, stressing that the Zone deserves nothing less than the presidency in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
He decried the attitude of the other zones who would court the zone during crisis and then dump them at the time zone needs their support for Presidency.
He challenge the stakeholders from zone to forge a common group in presenting a single candidate from the zone , saying, with their electoral strength, the candidate will emerge victorious.
The elder statesman, called on politicians to give the zone a chance, saying with abundant ,credible and competent people, a vote for Middle belt candidate is a vote for transformation and progress of the country.
In his contribution, the former Acting Chairman of PDP Alhaji Kawu Baraje,
assured the electorate to vote enmass for the PDP in the next general election, saying Nigerians are tired of poverty, insecurity, violence deceit and dishonesty which have become the trademark of the APC.
He wonder why the Middle Belt which ingenuity and Competencies of her citizenry contributed to the unity of this country, but , decried the marginalisation of the zone in the political equation of Nigeria.
“The Middle Belt as it is known today comprise, Kogi , Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa , Niger and FCT, and if we speak with one voice, the other zones will catch cold.
” It was our political strength that the NPN was formed in Gboko in present Benue state. And when , Democracy was restored in 1989, the successive chairmen of the ruling PDP were from the zone. Now, we have had enough of the Chairmanship, we need the centre.
” So , i challenge our compatriots to subsume their political interests into a common interest by producing Dr. Bukola Saraki, former senate President as single aspirant at the primary election, and by so doing, we would have made significant progress that will not inch us away from the presidency.” He solicited.
