Stakeholders in the North Central Zone under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have said the presidential ambition of the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, will not be negotiated even if the zone produces the national chairman in the scheduled national convention.
 
In a statement issued by the Director-General, North Central Coalition for Leadership, Williams Oluwatoyin, yesterday, the stakeholders said even if the party’s chairmanship is zoned to Okene Local Government, “Governor Bello will still contest and we will ensure victory for him by God’s grace.”
  
Their reaction is coming on the heels of a statement purportedly issued by a faceless group, ‘Stakeholders in Nasarawa State Council of the APC’, which appealed to Bello to sacrifice his presidential ambition for the rumoured national chairmanship position awaiting the zone.
 
They said the purported appeal for Bello to relinquish his ambition stands logic on its head and also belittles the zone.
    
“Bello holds the overwhelming mandate of the North Central and Nigerians as a whole to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
 
“A Bello presidency cannot be sacrificed on the altar of cash and carry politics? what kind of zone would be satisfied more with producing a Chairman than producing a President,” the said.
 
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued by a faceless group of stakeholders in Nasarawa State Council of APC, appealing to Governor Yahaya Bello to sacrifice his presidential ambition, to pave way for the North Central to produce the national chairman of the party.”
 
“The said statement reportedly made by the Chairman of the Council, Kassim Muhammed-Kassim in Yola, claimed that the group endorsed Senator Abdullahi Adamu for the position of national chairman in the forthcoming party’s convention.
 
“Without mincing words, we are the authentic APC Stakeholders in the North Central and there is no other apart from us. We wonder what kind of zone would be satisfied more with producing a Chairman than producing a President.
 
“We, the authentic stakeholders in APC North Central want to state categorically that we are in full support of Yahaya Bello’s presidential ambition and we regard the purported appeal for him to back out from the race as standing logic on its head.
 
“By saying this, we do not by any means, infer that anybody should not vie for the chairmanship position in the North Central. What has come to stay, through popular demand, is that Yahaya Bello will contest presidency notwithstanding where the party’s chairmanship position is zoned to.
 
“Even if the party’s chairmanship is zoned to Okene Local Government, Yahaya Bello will contest and we will ensure victory for him by God’s grace.
 
“It is obvious that these unknown individuals who brand themselves as stakeholders are singing the tune of their pay masters but doing this at the expense of the wish and yearnings of the people is undemocratic and belittling of the North Central, to say the least.
 
“For the avoidance of doubt, the North Central has produced the National Chairman of the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not less than five times. What has this brought to our zone?
 
“Those who had occupied this position include: 1998-1999: Chief Solomon Lar (PDP National Chairman from Plateau State); 1999-2001: Chief Banarbas Gimade ( PDP National Chairman from Benue State); 2001-2005: Chief Audu Ogbe, PDP National Chairman from Benue State); 2005-2008: Col. Ahmadu Ali (PDP National Chariman from Kogi State) and 2011-2012: Alh Kawu Baraje (from Kwara State).
 
“What has these chairmanship positions brought to our zone if the dividends of Democracy is our interest?
 
“Governor  Bello has demonstrated capacity, excellence and unequalled competence in governance and he holds the overwhelming mandate of the North Central and Nigerians as a whole to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Bello’s presidency can’t be sacrificed on the altar of cash and carry politics.”