Mustapha: Why North Central Should Produce Next APC National Chairman

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) national championship aspirant, Saliu Mustapha, at the weekend said that the North-central geopolitical zone of the country is most qualified to produce the next National Chairman of the party.

Mustapha spoke to a select journalists in Lagos, where he also said that if given the chance to become the next national chairman of the party, he would ensure that imposition of candidates during elections is brought to an end as such is one of the main reasons for rigging during elections.

Giving a brief history of the ruling party, Mustapha said: “The APC as a political party was formed by a coalition of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, the Congress of Progressives Change (CPC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari, the New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP), a faction of the PDP led by the defecting governors of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Chibuike Amaechi and Bukola Saraki, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)

“So far, the CPC has taken the presidency with President Buhari, the ACN produced the vice president in the person of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. while the ANPP produced the Senate President with Ahmad Lawan”, he said.

He further said that the North-central deserves to produce the APC national chairman because the zone determines the fate of all presidential elections in the country.

According to Mustapha, “In the run off to the 2023, though there is no official zoning of the offices of the party for the national convention, but we are certain that it will be zoned to the North-central zone.

On who becomes the next the national chairman of the party, Mustapha said that it will go to the CPC stakeholders who will determine who will become the national chairman.

He said that the North-central zone has made strong attention to be noticed and bearing in mind the role of the zone in the political history of the zone in determining the party at the centre.

Speaking on his aspirations, Mustapha said that “all that is big in the APC has endorsed him”, explaining that he will work to ensure a party that promotes equity.

He also said if elected the chairman of the party, he would work towards reconciling factions.

Mustapha who was once a deputy national chairman of CPC, said he has what it takes to move the party to a new level.

According to him, “I have been endorsed by every well-meaning stakeholder; that is why I am motivated in this race,” he said.

“As a former deputy national chairman of CPC, I led CPC to the merger. So, nobody is older than me in Kwara APC. They all met me in the party.

“I have retained that neutrality and I’m hoping that given the opportunity to be chairman of the party will be my first legal step on reconciling the factions in the party. We need all hands on deck.

“Being a key player in how the merger came about, I decided to step into the arena for the post of APC national chairman because I believe we don’t have the best.

“I have gathered enough experience and enough goodwill. I want to see a party where there is fairness, equity and justice, not a party where there is imposition.”

He insisted that he was never intimidated in the race that is dominated by former governors and senators, adding that ideology should be the dominant factor in choosing a chairman for the APC.

According to him, “I’m not intimidated by titles; I bow to superior argument. It is ideas that rule. I will be looking forward to working with all these fellow aspirants who I believe are major stakeholders,” he said.

“Our challenges are not what can tear the party apart. We have been able to manage our challenges and that is why people are begging to join us.”

He said that he would stop the imposition of candidates during elections as “this is the main reason for rigging because a candidate that is not popular has been imposed