2023: Those advocating North Central running mate abandoned us when we clamoured for presidency – APC Chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, has described some of the leaders and politicians from the North Central geopolitical zone, who are now calling for the selection of the running mate to Bola Tinubu from the zone, as not being proactive.

He also said when every other zone was pushing for the zoning or consideration of their zone for the 2023 presidency, most of the leaders kept quiet and allowed only few of them in the struggle until the two major political parties, the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), picked their Presidential candidates from the South West and the North East respectively.

Zazzaga disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

He said, “As APC leaders from the North Central region with like minds and push for Presidency to come to the region because apart from the military era, since the democratic dispensation the region hasn’t actually produced either the President or the Vice President, but has tremendously contributed to the democratic growth in the nation.

“We did all we could to achieve this. First, we kicked against the acceptance of a party’s National Chairmanship position by anyone from the region because it would automatically make another region to be considered for the presidency.

“Yet, many North Central politician were more interested in the National Chairmanship of the parties rather than the Presidency which was our major quest.

“We could not eventually pull this through as the two major political parties National Chairmanship position was clinched by politicians from the region.

“And in our effort to achieve our aim of clinching the Presidency, we spent our time and resources but without any support from leaders of the region.

“But surprisingly, now some of the leaders are now pushing for a running mate to the APC Presidential candidate to be picked from the region. That to me is that they are not proactive, or should I call it an afterthought?”

“Nevertheless, as people who love the region, we will not ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’. So we will join our voice to push for the selection of Tinubu’s running mate from the region, and in our own assessment, the Governor of Plateau State and Chairman Nothern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong, is the ideal person,” he said.

He called on all and sundry to join hands with the electoral body in order to conduct a free, fair and credible election, adding that all the party candidates should urge their supporters to work towards violence-free electoral process.