2023: National APC Youth Forum wants Presidential candidate emerge from N/West
Over six million youths under the auspices of All Progressives Congress- National Forum (APC-NF) on Friday has advocated that, the only chance of the APC to emerge victorious come 2023 presidential elections is to elect a credible and competent aspirant from the North West geo- political zone who will be a presidential flag bearer for the party.
The group said, the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is worrisome, adding that, the only way to challenge Atiku, is for APC to desist from zoning formula and unanimously nominate a North West presidential aspirant as Candidate.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the APC-NF, Mustapha Mala Karamma while briefing Journalists at the Conference Hall, Barwee Luxury Suite in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
Karamma said, his Forum, is an APC support group; that was registered at the APC National Secretariat, mainly to advocate for justice, fairplay and good governance at all democratic levels.
He noted that the structures of the organization spans across the National and Sub national levels, down to the ward and polling units, with a current platform of over 6.8 million members who are ever ready to submit to a competent leader who will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come 2023.
Such successor, Karamma said, must come from the North West, considering the fact that, the region has six states all controlled by the ruling APC.
Although, the Chairman of the Forum who led hundreds of his members to the press briefing did not mention the name of the person they were advocating for to emerge as APC presidential Candidate, Vanguard learnt that presently, it was only one Aspirant who purchased his Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for the APC presidential primaries in the North West, who is the former Governor of Zamfara state, Alhaji Ahmed Sani Yerima.
His words: “The APC-NF is made up of about 6,856,229 membership who are committed to ensure good governance and better democratic leadership irrespective of where such a leader come from.
“These population are made up of youths, specifically, women at about 70% and men at about 30% ratio respectively. The aim of the forum is to canvass for youths participation, in party politics and decision making process as well as garner support for the party during electioneering processes.
“Due to the current happening in the political scene of the party, and reality on ground, the organization convene a virtual discussion via zoom platform, among its members across the national divide, and deliberated on the State of the party affairs, youth participation in democracy and the preparation ahead of 2023 general elections, and I was mandated to physically brief press men on the outcome of the virtual discussion here in Maiduguri, today, 3rd June, 2022.
“During the virtual meeting, Presentations were taken, key issues were discussed and resolutions were reached, especially on the forthcoming APC National Congress. The meeting noted that, it is obvious, that the issue of zoning is central dogma, that is currently trending in Nigeria’s political space.
“Any party that want to either remain in power or is struggling to take power must zone its Presidential ticket to the Northern Nigeria and to the North West precisely.
This is considering the superior governance and leadership style of the north west, where six states of that region is control by the ruling APC and the sterling qualities of leaders we have across that geopolitical zone.
“Furthermore, our party must observed keenly, the Zoning of the opposition PDP and the quality of the candidate it gives the ticket to.
“As the 2023 election draws nearer, the debate has once again shifted to the zoning arrangement. As usual, Nigerian political commentators have decided to shelve the real issues of competence, integrity, and several other qualifications for office that reside in the north western region of the country.
“It is with the foregoing, therefore, we call on National Working Committee, All Stakeholders as well as well-meaning Nigerians to consider the presidential ticket of our great party to be zone to the North West, because it is the region that is densely populated with over 50 million voters.
“Finally, the All Progressives Congress, National Forum prays for the Unity of Nigeria and craves for qualitative representation for the betterment of our citizens”. Karamma stated.
Leave a Reply