An All Progressives Congress (APC) group loyal to the former Lagos state governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the aiges of Northern Progressives Agenda (NPA) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to reciprocate Tinubu’s gestures by supporting him to be presidential candidate of APC in 2023.
The group called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, political elites from the north, especially the governors and delegates alike to show good faith by ensuring that power shifts to the southern region, specifically to Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing a press conference Friday in Abuja, spokesman of the northern group, Dominic Alancha, listed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and President Muhammadu Buhari himself, among many more that have from Tinubu’s political structures and support in the past.
According to NPA, the north has held on to power for such a long time without commensurate benefite to the common man, it has never ran fowl of the trust it enjoys from Nigerians. It is this trust, which is the hallmark of an average northerner that has endeared it to people of the other region whom in their wisdom have reciprocated by standing with the north where it matters.
“The Northern Progressive Agenda (NPA) therefore calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to reciprocate the gestures of the south of which he is a great beneficiary by refusing to listen to the call for the north to retain power.
“We also call on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, political elites from the north, especially the governors and delegates alike to show good faith by ensuring that power shifts to the southern region. We must not allow our greed for power to cause us unwarranted and irredeemable reputational damage in the eyes of other Nigerians.
“While the southern region boast of many qualified and competent individuals fit for the office of the president, we are calling on the party to particularly narrow its search to the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose many contributions and sacrifices exemplified in the opportunities given to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mallam Nuhu, President Muhammadu Buhari and many more has benefited the north more than it has benefited his own region of the south and south west in particular.
“We believe that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not just the best among the contending forces from the southern region, he is the only man with the requisite political experience, extensive network and the national appeal to win election for a political party like the All Progressives Congress, especially considering that Atiku, whom though is not a match for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also a political heavyweight that has stayed long enough in the political arena to understand the game far better than any of the other contestants aside Bola Tinubu.
“We must reiterate the fact that what the north needs at this time is not political power. If we have had it for many years without commensurate benefit to the average northerner, then it is only proper to explore another option.
“The north needs an opportunity to improve on its economy, security, healthcare, education, industrial development and many more, so that it can compete favorably with the south and even rank better, especially considering the enormous advantage it has over the other.
“We want to see a north where its huge population will be for economic advantage and not just for political purposes. We want to see a north where the vast landmass will be turned into agriculture fields that will birth industries and create jobs for the teeming youths. We want to see a north where students will not have to be given lower cut off mark before they can be admitted into schools. We want to see a north that works and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a trusted ally that can make this happen.”
