Why APC Chairman Must Come From South East- PDP Chieftain

A former Corp Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Coprs, FRSC, Osita Chidoka has called on the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to pick its next chairman from the southeast.

He said such a bold decision will promote national unity, peace and inclusiveness.

Chidoka spoke following the resignation of Abdullahi Adamu from office yesterday.

Adamu resigned on Monday ending months of speculations that some presidency officials wanted him out of his exalted position as the National Chairman of the ruling party.

He has since been replaced by Abubakar Kyari, Deputy National Chairman South in an acting capacity.

In his reaction to the leadership crisis in APC, Chidoka, a former minister of Aviation said the top leadership positions have already been held by other regions.

The southeast must be considered for the APC National Chairman for equity sake, he said.

The President, Vice President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives are all from other regions of the country.

The former minister urged the APC to rise beyond ‘petty politics’ by ensuring that the next APC Chairman comes from the southeast, which many insist has been isolated in terms of political power-sharing arrangement.

Doing this, Chidoka stated in his verified Twitter handle “would be a step in the right direction”.

He explained that Nigerians from all the six geo-political zones should be allowed to make input to the development of the country.

According to him, “These six positions are at the core of government and governance by their statutory positions. As discussions commence on ministerial nominees, board appointments, and policy directions of the government, these six offices would make important inputs to the process and progress of the government.

“As a Nigerian, patriot, student of our national history, and proponent of intentional national rebirth, I recommend that the APC zone the national chairmanship to the south-east, to ensure inclusive representation.

“Some will say the SE did not vote for the party and President Tinubu, my answer will be that the south-west did not vote for NPN when chief Akinloye was the powerful chairman of NPN. “Also, the south-west did not vote for PDP when President Obasanjo was nominated and elected president of Nigeria.

“Our national unity can only be built on deliberate inclusive policies.

“The resignation of the APC chairman presents an opportunity for the party to reaffirm its national credentials and depart from its inglorious past of naked nepotism and gross insensitivity to our national consensus by zoning the position of national chairman to the southeast.”

Meanwhile, some political analysts have welcome Chidoka’s idea as a novel one, but they insist that it’s impossible for the APC’s next chairman to come from the south when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is from the south.

They, therefore, ruled out this possibility,  noting that the next chairman is likely to come from the North in line with party politics convention in Nigeria.