Chieftains and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the South East geopolitical zone have implored President Muhammadu Buhari and other party leaders to endorse Senate President Ahmad Lawan as presidential candidate of the governing party.
The Igbo APC leaders under the auspices of APC South-east Front noted that it would be fair and just for the APC to settle for Lawan as its presidential flag bearer because he also hails from the same geopolitical zone of the country like the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
The party leaders who made demand at an emergency meeting in Abuja are from the five states of the South East zone.
In a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting and signed by Chief Sam Nkire and twenty four other APC chieftains, the South East leaders said the APC is left with no option than to take a cue from the opposition PDP, which picked its flag bearer, Atiku, from the North East geopolitical zone.
The communiqué reads in part: “After an extensive analysis of the political developments in Nigeria today with a view to the outcome of the PDP Primary election a few days ago, the mood of the nation and of course the expectation of our people that power would shift to the Southern part of Nigeria in 2023 where even our South West and South South brothers would have had the conscience to cede the contest of the Nigeria’s President to the South East considering the enormous sacrifices the South East had made in support of both zones who took a shot at the presidency at different times since 1999.
“It has become apparent that PDP has once again laid ambush for our party the All Progressives Congress (APC) by choosing its candidate from the North East instead of the South East. We believe that this is compelling and still within the confines of equity and fairness considering the fact that neither North East nor South Eastern parts of the country had produced a president in the history of our country.
“With this power convolution in mind, we the people of the Southeast do hereby call on our amiable President Muhamadu Buhari (GCFR), our great party the All Progressives Congress (APC), all delegates to the presidential primary election to consider and choose Senator Dr. Ahmed Lawan as the candidate of our party for the 2023 Presidential Election, being that the PDP has chosen it’s Presidential candidate from the North East Zone.
“It is our belief that our great Party, the APC, will consider the sacrifices which the South East has continued to make towards the development of our Party and the nation in the future. While we continue to consult and mobilize support, we urge our southeast brothers to demonstrate confidence as this is the quickest route to the primary office of the nation.”
Other signatories to the communiqué are Comrade A.C Ude, Barr. Bath Ugwuoke, Barr. K.C Ugboaja, Lolo Queen N Nwankwo, Chief Nduka Onyekwere A, Hon Tony Alum, Barr. Chijioke Ikpo, Hon Victor Nwankwo, Hon Timothy Chukwuma and Chief Chris Chukwuka, among others.
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