Mr Sunny Moniedafe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has denied stepping down for Sen. Umar Al-Makura in the race for the party’s national chairmanship.
Moniedafe disclosed this when he addressed newsmen on Monday in Abuja, adding that contrary to speculations, he was still in the race.
He said it was untrue that he had stepped down for Al-Makura, the immediate past governor of Nasarawa State as reported by a section of the media.
On the mode of primary he would prefer for the election of the partys candidates, Moniedafe said as a party man, he would accept whatever mode of primary the partys leadership adopted.
“I am comfortable with either direct or indirect mode of primaries, so long as the process is transparent,’’ he said.
Moniedafe, however, said that it was incorrect to conclude that he would lose out of the race if the party`s leadership decided to zone the position to the North-East as was being speculated.
“It came to my notice that many people are worried about the zoning of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) Chairmanship.
“That if it is zoned to the North-East, it will spell doom for me, far from it,my desire is for the position to the zoned to the North-East.
“If it is not,I have said it in different fora that I will pick form for the other positions zoned to the North-East,’’Moniedafe said.
He added that though he had the required qualification and experience to be APCs national chairman, becoming the partys national chairman was not a one way matter to him.
“I want to make the assertion that I have the required experience and qualifications to be in any position of the NWC, excerpt the Women and Youth Leader
“In that case, if by chance the North-East zone is not favored, we will go ahead with any position zoned to my zone, for emphasis, I will contest,’’ he said.
Moniedafe said if he failed to emerge as APC`s next national chairman, he would support whoever emerged as long as the person had the same vision and objectives with him.
He added that whoever emerged as the partys national chairman at the Feb. 26 national convention, should ensure the partys supremacy and a better and adequate reward system for its members.
Moniedafe who claimed to be an indigene of Adamawa by birth, said the party`s national chairman should also ensure a synergy between the three arms of government.
He decried the spate of recent defection of some APC`s members to opposition political parties, especially in Kano and Zamfara, saying that the action amounted to “stomach infrastructure’’.
While acknowledging that some of those who defected may had done so because they felt they had not been properly rewarded, Moniedafe said that was not enough reason to defect.
He added that as an individual and a party man, even though he had sacrificed a lot for the APC, he had not been adequately compensated.
He further added that he had suffered neglect and and lack of reward in the APC, but never thought of defecting to other political party, this, he said should be the mind set.
“Today, I have not been adequately compensated, but am still in the APC, If they don’t have the kind of my mindset I have, they might decamp, but can two wrongs make a right, no.
“Ones you decamp, it means you are following your stomach, decamping is not the solution, stay in house and make a change,’’ he said.
He, however, noted that if the partys National Reconcilation Committee had been swift enough by starting the reconciliation process early in some of its states chapters, the situation would had been arrested.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those in the APC chairmanship race included; Sen. Ali-Modu Sheriff, a two term governor of Borno, a former deputy national chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mr Saliu Mustapha and a former governor of Nasarawa State, Sen. Tanko Al Makura.
Others were Sen. Mohammed Sani-Musa (Niger), former governors of Zamfara, Mr Abdulaziz Yari, Bauchi, Mr Isa Yuguda, Borno Mr Kashim Shettima and Gombe, Mr Danjuma Goje.
Also in the race was the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Afairs, Mr George Akume among others.
A new NWC is expected to be elected at the Feb. 26 National Convention.
The party`s affairs is presently being managed by the Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).(NAN)
