South South APC lawmakers endorse Yahaya Bello, pass vote of confidence in Buni

Forum of members of State Houses of Assembly in the South-South zone, under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, has endorsed the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for Presidency in 2023.

The legislators decided to stress the support of the zone separately, in Calabar, a few days after the APC legislators from all zones declared their support for the governor and also passed a vote of confidence in the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.

Rising from its extraordinary meeting held at Monty Suites, Zone 6, Calabar, capital of Cross River, yesterday, the forum pointed out that it would be the best decision for the leadership of APC to zone the presidency to North Central in the spirit of fairness and justice.

The legislators, elected by the people of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States, agreed that the North Central had been marginalised since the nation gained Independence, adding that allowing it to produce the next President will be fair.

The lawmakers commended President Buhari for his leadership and also eulogised Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, for promptly connecting the state to the centre and for being the first in the South-South geopolitical zone.

They passed a vote of confidence in the Buni-led Caretaker Committee, pointing out that it had helped in no small way to grow the party and attract eminent Nigerians into its fold.

A communiqué issued by the forum read in part: “That the APC State Assembly Legislators of the South-South, who were elected by the people of the six states that make up the geopolitical zone believe that the best thing for our party as we approach the 2023 general elections is to give room for marginalised zones to produce the next president. Consequently, we appeal to the national leadership of our party, the APC, to zone the presidency to North Central for fairness and sense of belonging to prevail.

“We hereby state that we agree to support our colleagues in the North Central to contest for the position of the President of Nigeria in 2023, which is a position that the zone had hitherto been deprived of since Nigeria became independent in 1960.”