The North Central Legislators Forum has urged major political parties in the country to zone their 2023 presidential ticket to the North Central for fairness and equity.
This is contained in a communique at the end of its meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, read by Mr Marata Gum, former Speaker, Niger State of Assembly.
“The North Central legislators forum unanimously demands that the presidency should be zoned to the area come 2023.
“The position of the party chairmanship in all the political parties has been rejected by this great forum.
“The North Central is not interested in the position of chairman in any political party,” he said.
Gumi, convener of the meeting, said the forum also aligned itself with the position of speakers of Nigeria on tackling security challenges in the country through state and community policing.
“We call on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency embark on the construction and rehabilitation of all federal roads in all North Central states.
“We are using this forum to foster unity among the North Central states,” he said.
The Speaker of Kogi House of Assembly, Mr Matthew Kolawole, while fielding questions from newsmen said the forum’s position was not about Gov. Yahaya Bello’s 2023 presidential ambition but the interest of the zone.
Kolawole said what the North Central legislators wanted all political parties to zone their presidential ticket to North Central.
The Kogi speaker, however, said that “so far, the only person we have as at today being asking for the presidency position is Bello.
“I will say what we did today favours him 100 per cent, but that does not really mean that this is limited to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We want other parties to come forward to contest.”
Also clarifying the demand of the forum, Speaker, Benue House of Assembly Uba Titus, said the demand of the forum was not about any individual.
“We are saying that all political parties in the North Central should produce a candidate so that the entire world will know that this time around, we are serious.
“It is time for the zone to produce Nigerian president,” he said.
The meeting was attended by lawmakers from Kogi, Benue, Niger and Kwara, who were elected under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC). (NAN)
