The North-Central Youths Stakeholders Forum (NCYSF) and North Central Youths Stakeholders Forum and the Middle Belt Forum have backed the zone’s governors and National Assembly members-elect on rejecting the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoning formula for principal officers of the National Assembly.
Expressing displeasure with the zoning framework announced by the National Working Committee of the APC, the North-Central and Middle Belt youths said it is far from being fair and just.
In a statement read at joint press conference in Minna, Niger State, the leader of the NCYSF, Mohammed Mohammed, said the zoning arrangement announced by the APC NWC is a clear and deliberate attempt to undermine the contributions of the North-Central to the survival of the APC and its victory at the February 25th general elections and subsequent polls.
“We find it unbecoming that other regions that performed abysmally at the polls are given preference in Zoning arrangement of the APC NWC while relegating the North-Central which contributed optimally to the victory of the APC and its Presidential Candidate would be literally denied any principal position in the coming National Assembly.
“It is all the more insulting that even to consider the North-Central for the third position in the legislative houses is subject of debate and speculation.
“In the light of this, we wish to invite the intervention of all stakeholders in the APC to impress on the NWC of the party and all those behind this agenda to rescind, withdraw, review and reverse this unpopular decision and in the alternative, allow the elected federal legislators to form their leadership.
“We call on the incoming President to do all he could to reclaim his statesmanship by supporting what clearly is the popular will of the people against those who want to subvert it.
“It does not gladden anyone to think that the relegation of the North-Central after the central role it played in the emergence of the coming administration in spite of all the odds, is calculated to diminish the rising political relevance of the region.
“For the avoidance of doubt therefore, and for those who have ears to hear, the North-Central would never settle for any other position lower than the Senate Presidency and Speakership of the House of Representatives,” the joint statement read.
