Ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has warned the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) not to interfere with the earlier zoning arrangement in the party that indicated the North and South regions take turn to represent APC during the polls to rule Nigeria.
Akeredolu said that due to earlier arrangements among the members, the party leaders should have no difficulty in making pronouncements on which region will produce a candidate that would lead the party in next year’s election while also stressing that it will be disingenuous for anyone to kick against the rotation arrangements at this period.
He posited that since the leadership of the party ensured that the principle of rotational representation guided its decision at the just-concluded Convention with respect to the Chairmanship position which was shifted to the North, it is logical that the Southern part of the country produce the next president.
The governor, who gave the warning on Tuesday in a statement made available to newsmen, cautioned the party members not to go against engaging in activities that would promote the party’s arrangement tailored towards ensuring peace and promoting trust while adhering to the laws guiding the conduct of elections and succession of power.
His warning came barely a week after APC new national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said that the party was yet to determine which of the zones the party’s presidential tickets will go to for the 2023 general election.
“The current democratic dispensation is anchored on the unwritten convention driven by a principle of Equity. Political expediency dictates, more appealingly, that while adhering to the spirit and letters of the laws guiding the conduct of elections and succession to political offices, we must do nothing which is capable of tilting the delicate balance against the established arrangement which guarantees peace and promotes trust,” he said
He commended the government for addressing the current socio-economic crises and enjoined the party’s Executive Committee who fixed the presidential form fee, to proceed to limit the position to a region to avoid disagreement and curtail any posible self-inflicted crises.
“The current socio-economic crises are surmountable. It is commendable that the Government is addressing these issues without drama. The Federal Government and leadership of our great party will come out stronger. We cannot, therefore, afford any internal bickering which holds the potential promise of causing distrust and militating against cohesion, harmony, and the zeal to achieve set objectives.”
“The party Executive Committee has fixed a fee for the purchase of the nomination form for the office. It is expected, fervently, that it will proceed to complete the process by limiting the propensities for disagreement to a region for possible micro-management. It is very expedient that we avoid self-inflicted crises before the general elections.” he said
