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A group operating under the aegis of North Central Peoples Forum (NCPF) was on Saturday 12th of December, appealed to other geo-political zones in Nigeria to concede 2023 presidency to the zone said the zone have never been to the position under democratic setting.
We could recall that the Kogi state House of Assembly recently canvassed for the zoning of 2023 presidency to the North Central too.
Addressing Journalists at the weekend, in Ilorin, Kwara state capital ahead of the launch of the state chapter of NCPF, Secretary General of the forum Khaleel Bolaji said that: “I not mincing words, north central has over the years, been marginalized. What Kogi state House is saying that the region should produce the next president come 2023 is correct. I am the same page with them as an individual and as the secretary general of NCPF”
“All the remaining five zones of the country have produced president of the country, north central is yet to have a shot at the presidency under a democratic setting. Name them Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe of South East, Goodluck Jonathan of South-South, Olusegun Obasanjo of South West. Of course North West has had a shot at it up to four times and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the North east”
“Our votes in north central are more than the South west but because the South West has the press to make the noise it always gets its ways. If politics about number then we should be placed properly.”
Bolaji added that the North Central zone had not been accorded its rightful place in the scheme in the larger northern region. There is no disputing the fact that north central geopolitical zone is part of the north, but north is not one. We are one in terms of understanding one another. But when it comes to sharing the benefits, you discover that there disparities within the context of the northern region”
“For instance, nobody can be minister of Niger Delta except he is from that region. Abuja is in the north central but over the years majority of the ministers from the Federal Capital Territory have been outside of the north central zone. Of course of the north, but nor of the zone. This is part of what we are talking about”
“I can say that 80 percent of solid mineral resources are from this zone. Rivers Niger and Benue are from here. Indeed, this is the zone that is holding Nigeria. We are the food basket of the country. These are the things we want Nigerians to know.
“The launching of the forum is a beginning of new dawn in terms of politics for the geo-political region”
“With the forum in place, the region will now be able to do the needful in terms of making sure that our people get their rightful place in the context of Nigeria. This is not a breakaway from Arewa Consultative Forum (AC). We are part and parcel of ACF.”
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