Lukman faults APC’s zoning formula, alleges marginalisation of N’Central

Immediate past Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has alleged marginalisation of the North Central in leadership positions within the ruling party.

He lambasted the national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, for allegedly not doing enough to drive the party’s agenda in promoting President Bola Tinubu’s administration and Nigeria.

To correct the reported zoning lapse, Lukman advised that the current Deputy Senate President, Barau Jubrin, who hails from Kano (North West), should concede the seat to someone from the North Central.

Specifically, in a letter dated April 2, 2024, addressed to Ganduje and made available to journalists in Kaduna yesterday, the chieftain argued that the Kano State ex-governor’s emergence as national chairman violated the party’s constitution.

He maintained that it was Nasarawa State in the North Central geopolitical zone that was due to occupy the office and the region to produce the Deputy Senate President.

His words: “I hope that everything will be done to speed up restoring constitutional order in APC. It is also my hope that meetings of organs of the party, especially the National Executive Council (NEC), will take place very soon, and the meetings will review the situation facing the party and address the challenges, including rectifying the issue whereby the leadership of the country is skewed against the people of North Central.

“It is unacceptable that a party envisioned to be progressive will produce unbalanced leadership for the country. It is objectionable that an envisioned progressive party will discriminate against members simply because they are critical of initiatives of leaders or lack of it.”

Lukman went on: “We will continue to make our modest contributions to the process of party development. We will remain defiant of all acts of discrimination in every form it is carried out against party members.

“I recommend that the position of Deputy Senate President, currently being held by Senator Barau Jibrin, who is from Kano State, where you (Ganduje) come from, should be relinquished to someone from North Central. There is no reason why the North West should hold three key leadership positions of National Chairman of APC, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Senate President when North Central is completely shut out.”